Court orders labourer to be given 12 strokes of cane for stealing phone

On Tuesday, a  Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court ordered that a 23-year-old labourer, Shehu Abbas, be given 12 strokes of cane for stealing a Tecno phone valued at 56,000.

Abbas, resident of Kawo in Kaduna State, was convicted after pleading guilty to the charge of theft and begged for leniency.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, said the punishment would serve as deterrent to others and also a warning to those that had the mind to commit such crimes.

Emmanuel, however, order two court officials to give the convict 12 strokes of cane.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, had told the court that the matter was reported by Sarah Augustine of Ungwan Sarki in Kaduna, at the Sabon Gari Police Station, on Feb. 13.

According to Leo, the convict entered the shop of the complainant located at Kawo and stole her Tecno phone valued N56,000.

He stated that the convict was caught with the said phone when it rang in his pocket before he could run away.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 271 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.