A Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court, on Thursday, ordered that 21-year-old scavenger Ibrahim Usman be given eight strokes of the cane for stealing a she-goat.
The convict, who admitted to committing the offense, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that he was misguided by his friends.
While delivering his judgment, the Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, said the court was merciful to the defendant because he did not waste time admitting his guilt.
Emmanuel ordered that Usman be given eight strokes of the cane and warned him to desist from committing crimes in the future, adding that the court might not be this lenient the next time he appeared before him.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Chidi Leo, told the court that the convict committed the offense on Oct. 6 at Ungwan Rimi Kaduna.
According to Leo, the convict, who was caught by members of the vigilante group with the goat at Ali Akilu Road Kaduna, could not explain how he got it satisfactorily.
He said the convict confessed that he stole the goat from his neighbor’s house when he was taken to the police station for questioning.
The prosecutor said the offense contravened the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.
