Date: 2018-10-13

A 20 - year-old man, Abubakar Mohammed, of Dangote area, Asa-Dam, Ilorin, Kwara State has been sentenced to 10 strokes of the cane for stealing motor spare parts. An Ilorin Magistrates' Court convicted the 20-year-old man having found him guilty of trespassing into the workshop of one Mohammed Shafi of No 16, Isale-Banni, Alore area, Ilorin where he stole the spare parts. Prior to the conviction of Abubakar, the prosecutor, Barrister Bode Silas, of the Legal Department, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDCA), Kwara State Command, Ilorin had prayed the court to try Abubakar summarily since he pleaded guilty to the offence.

Magistrate MG Kamson granted the oral application of the prosecutor and convicted Mohammed of the offence of theft, contrary to Section 288 of Penal Code Law. Consequently, the court ordered that the accused be given 10 strokes of cane at the court premises and a fine of N2, 000. Trouble began for the convict following a report on September 7, 2018 at the office of NSCDC, Ilorin by the victim, Mohammed, that the convict trespassed into his mechanic workshop along Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin and stole some motor spare parts. The Police First Information Report (FIR), corroborating the victim’s report, stated that investigation and confessional statement of the convict revealed that he went to the complainant's mechanic workshop and stole some motor spare parts.