A 21-year-old scavenger, Ibrahim Usman, was recently ordered by a Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court to receive eight strokes of the cane as punishment for stealing a she-goat.
Usman admitted to committing the offense and pleaded for mercy, stating that he was misguided by his friends.
Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel demonstrated leniency in the judgment due to Usman’s prompt admission of guilt.
However, Emmanuel also issued a stern warning, advising Usman to refrain from future criminal activity and noting that the court’s leniency may not extend to future offenses.
According to Prosecution Counsel Insp Chidi Leo, Usman committed the theft on October 6 in Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna.
A vigilante group apprehended Usman with the stolen goat at Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, and he was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for its origin.
Upon questioning at the police station, Usman confessed to stealing the goat from his neighbor’s residence, violating the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.
This sentence is relatively mild compared to other similar cases. For instance, a man in Bayelsa received 70 strokes of the cane for stealing three tricycle tires. In another case, a 70-year-old man in Kaduna received five strokes of the cane for stealing a goat.
