Corpun file 25302 at www.corpun.com
Leadership, Abuja, 6 May 2014
Trader, 26, Bags 12 Strokes For Stealing Shoes At Abuja Mosque
Agency Report
An Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada, FCT, on Tuesday sentenced a 26-year-old trader, Dauda Ibrahim to 12 strokes of the cane for stealing two pairs of shoes at a mosque.
Ibrahim, who lives at Angwan Dodo in Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, was arraigned for theft.
The judge, Alhaji Alhassan Kusherki, who handed down the verdict, said the court had no option than to sentence Ibrahim since he had pleaded guilty.
Kusherki also sentenced the shoe thief to six months imprisonment, but with an option of N30,000 fine.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that after the strokes had been administered, Kusherki advised him to ask for forgiveness from God, his Creator, for stealing at a mosque.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Cpl. Iliya Maji had told the court that Ibrahim stole two pairs of shoes at the New Zango Central Mosque on May 3 during a prayer session.
Maji said the shoes which belonged to Salidu Mohammed and Abdulumu Yahaya were valued at N5,000 and N3,000 respectively.
He said the case was reported at the Police Area Command in Gwagwalada by one Muhammed Attahir of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 287 of the Penal Code. (NAN)
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Corpun file 25596 at www.corpun.com
Sunday Trust, Abuja, 11 May 2014
Boy, 16, receives 30 strokes of cane for stealing phones
By Tony Adibe
in Mbaise
A 16-year-old boy (names withheld) from Umuike kindred of Umuohii village in Oboama autonomous community, Ezinihitte, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, has been given 30 strokes of cane for stealing three mobile phones. He was beaten and fined N10,000 by youths in the area.
The boy received the punishment at the village square, Umuohii, otherwise known as Mkpekereaku.
Leader of a pressure group in the area, Oboama Ladder, Mr. Adornis Chidiebere Ufuka, told our reporter that the offence was committed last week at a fuel station in the village where the handsets were being charged.
According to Ufuka, recently, many people had complained that their mobile phones were being stolen from the petrol station. Trouble started for the boy when one of the victims saw his missing phone with him and confronted him. Upon interrogation, the boy admitted that he stole the phones in his possession, but explained that he engaged in the act because his own phone was also stolen from the same filling station.
Ufuka recalled that on different occasions in the past, three persons were caught stealing phones from the same fuel station and were given the same punishment without delay.
"Offences such as stealing, smoking of Indian hemp, engaging in gambling etc, by any youth in the area attract the same penalty. This is to inculcate the culture of discipline in youths and sanitise the entire village," he explained, but added that when the offence is more serious than those mentioned above, such case is usually handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution.
"This culture of discipline started from Umuohii village; and the entire good people of Oboama, including the traditional ruler, Eze Julius Amaefule, are comfortable with it. However, the very bad people are opposing the idea, but they lack the courage to say it out," the ex-youth leader said.
It was gathered that since 2008 when the disciplinary measure was introduced in the village, it has yielded positive results; hence youths in the area are mindful of their actions.
"We are carrying the crusade to the entire 11 villages that make up Oboama. We once dragged a youth to the Community Government Council (CGC) headquarters, otherwise known as "Gabon Hall" where he was given 30 strokes of cane for engaging in gambling. We want to have a crime-free community," Ufuka added.
Sunday Trust gathered that the irregular supply of electricity by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has forced some villagers in the area to resort to charging their phones at the petrol station where a generating set supplies regular power.
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