Nigerian Armed Robber Sentenced to 10 Years for Stealing Phone and TV from Effia-Nkwanta Hospital

• Stanley Afaku has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing a hospital in Sekondi with his accomplice, Samuel Nickson
• The 36-year-old and his compatriot stole a phone and a television set after attacking a security guard at gunpoint on February 23, 2025
• Afaku was arrested on June 4, 2025, and confessed to the crime, while Nickson denied the charges and is currently awaiting trial

A middle-aged Nigerian based in Ghana has been caught and sentenced to 10 years in prison for an armed robbery perpetrated at a hospital in Sekondi.

Stanley Afaku, 36, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after robbing the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the region of a phone and a television set.

The robbery occurred on February 23, 2025, when Afaku, along with his accomplice Samuel Nickson, aka Agya Acquah, attacked Nash Arthur, a security guard at the hospital.

According to the police report, the robbers attacked the guard at gunpoint, tied him up with his own shirt, and then stole his mobile device. They also broke into the hospital’s outpatient department and made off with a flat-screen television set.

Months later, police received new information through intelligence-led operations. They tracked down Afaku, who was eventually arrested on June 4, 2025, in the Esiama Bafana Ghetto.

After his arrest, Afaku confessed to the crime and identified his accomplice, Samuel Nickson, who was also apprehended.

In the court trial, Afaku pleaded guilty to all charges, and the Sekondi Circuit Court sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Once he completes his sentence, he will be deported to his home country, Nigeria.

Nickson, on the other hand, denied the charges against him and was remanded in police custody, awaiting his next court appearance on June 24, 2025.

What Ghana's laws say about armed robbery

In Ghana, the law addresses theft under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which provides penalties for various forms of theft, including stealing property.

According to Section 124 of the Criminal Offences Act, simple theft (like stealing phones or television sets) can attract a punishment of imprisonment for up to three years.

If a person is found in possession of stolen property, they can be charged with receiving stolen property under Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act. This offense carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to 5 years.

However, if the theft is accompanied by violence, threats, or the use of weapons (as is the case in armed robbery), the offense is classified as aggravated theft or robbery. It can result in a long-term prison sentence, as in this case, 10 years.

Police apprehend actress robbery's suspect

YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that celebrated Ghanaian actress Beverly Afaglo shared an update on the robbery that occurred at her Traffic Shawarma shop’s Tema branch on December 30, 2024.

The actress said that the police had apprehended the thief and had also exonerated her two former employees, Linda Ackam and Felicia Agyemang, who were no longer considered suspects.

Afaglo expressed gratitude to Ghanaians who helped track down the thief who targeted her establishment and shared that her former workers had been cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh