Judge gives reason for sentencing robber to 12 strokes of the cane

A Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday sentenced a 19-year-old labourer, Sani Zubairu, to 12 strokes of cane for robbing a lady of her bag.

Zubairu of Unguwan Dosa, Kaduna, had pleaded guilty to a one-count of theft and prayed the court to `tamper justice with mercy’.

In his judgment, the Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, ordered that the defendant be given 12 strokes of the cane for the offence.

Emmanuel said that the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had not saved the court the pains of protracted prosecution.

He warned the convict to be of good behaviour and desist from crimes.

Earlier, the prosecution, Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that the convict snatched a handbag belonging to one Zainab Bello, on March 22 at 8.30 p.m. at Kawo in Kaduna.

Leo stated that the handbag, valued at N5,000, contained a cell phone worth N55,000, passport photographs, ATM cards of three banks, N11,000 cash and other vital items.

The prosecution added that the complainant raised an alarm and the convict was apprehended and handed over to the police.

Leo said the defendant committed an offence which contravened Section 287 of the Kaduna State Penal Code, 2017.