A Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday sentenced a 23-year-old man, Kingsley Timothy, to 15 strokes of the cane for stealing two phones worth N650,000 inside a church.
Timothy, who resides in Narayi, Kaduna, pleaded guilty to the two-count charge of theft and begged the court for leniency.
Delivering judgment, Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel ordered the corporal punishment and urged Timothy to “be of good behaviour,” warning that the court “would not be lenient with him next time.”
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, informed the court that the case was reported by Richard Samuel of Christ Life Ministry on November 15.
Leo said Timothy stole a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and an Infinix phone, both valued at N650,000, while they were charging in the church. He added that the suspect was apprehended after the theft and handed over to the police.
He said the offence contravened Section 217 of the Kaduna State Penal Code, 2017.
