A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kaduna, on Wednesday, ordered that a 35-year-old unemployed man, Godwin Joseph, be given 20 strokes of the cane for stealing two laptops valued at N300,000.
Joseph, a resident of No. 55, Hausawa St., Television in Kaduna, was convicted after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of theft.
Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel passed the sentence after the convict begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
Emmanuel said the court had indeed tempered justice with mercy because the convict was a first time offender.
The Magistrate however warned that Joseph might not be lucky next time if he went back to crime.
The Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Chidi Leo, told the court that the complainant, Mr Samuel Ekpenyong of NITEL Quarters, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna, had reported the case at the Television Police Station on March 30.
Leo said the convict broke into the room of the complainant on March 30 at 9.30 a.m. while he was at work.
“The convict entered the complainant’s room through the window and stole two of his laptops valued at N300, 000 which he was charging.
“But when the convict was about to run out of the room, he was seen by a neighbour who alerted others and he was immediately arrested,’’ he said.
He said the laptops were recovered and were in the custody of the police.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 271 of the Penal Code of Kaduna 2017.
(NAN)
