An Upper Shari’a Court sitting in Kano, on Thursday ordered that six men be given 20 strokes of the cane each for stealing eight cell phones.
The police charged Umar Ibrahim, 25, Abba Sani, 23, Abubakar Yusuf, 25, Ahmad Mustapha, 22, Aliyu Bashir, 24, and Ahmad Musa, 20, with criminal conspiracy and extortion.
The Presiding Judge, Malam Ibrahim Sarki-Yola, also sentenced the six convicts to six months imprisonment each without the option of a fine.
“This will serve as a deterrent to other culprits who are terrorizing the public,” he held.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Ali Kabara, told the court that the convicts committed the offense on June 12 in Kano Metropolis.
”On Democracy Day celebration, the convicts armed themselves with dangerous weapons attacked and extorted eight phones from some members of the public.
“The eight stolen phones were found in their possession,” he said.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 97 and 292 of the Penal Code.
Earlier on,
A Mobile Court in Benin on Saturday sentenced 23 persons for illegal parking and displaying of wares for sale in unauthorised places.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while 16 persons were convicted for illegal parking, seven others were convicted for trading in unauthorised places.
The Prosecuting counsel, Mr I. O Kadiri, said that the 23 offenders were apprehended within Benin metropolis.
They all pleaded liable to the offences.
Presiding Chief Magistrate, Mr Mutairu Oare, ordered 16 of them found guilty of illegal parking to pay a fine of N25,000 each.
Oare ordered the remaining seven convicted of trading in unauthorized places to pay a fine of N2,000 each, with an option of community service by clearing drains, grass cutting, among others, within King’s Square for one hour daily, for two days.
