A Gwagwalada Senior Magistrates’ Court on Friday sentenced Rebecca Danjuma, 25 and Andrew Magdem, 23, to 12 strokes of cane each for stealing nine split AC units, and three orthopedic mattresses from a hotel.
The police charged Danjuma, Magdem and Lamba Ayuba with criminal trespass, joint act and theft.
While Danjuma and Magdem pleaded guilty, Ayuba pleaded not guilty.
Senior Magistrate Muhammad Munir in his judgment, also sentenced Danjuma and Magdem to 30 months imprisonment each.
Magistrate Munir sentenced Sanjuma and Magdem with an option of fine.
“On count one they are sentenced to six months imprisonment or an option of N50,000 fine, while on count two the defendants are sentenced to two years imprisonment or an option of N150,000 fine.
“On count three the defendants are sentenced to 12 strokes of cane each.
“The convicts are to pay a compensation of N1.315, 500 million each to the complainant”, he ruled.
Munir admitted the third defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 and two sureties in like sum which must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
He said that the sureties must provide either their National Identity card or driver’ s licence and must provide the print- out of their statement of account.
He adjourned the case until March 3 for hearing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendants were given 12 strokes of cane each outside the court premises at the presence of onlookers.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel Dabo Yakubu, told the court that the matter was transferred from Kuje divisional police station on Jan. 27 to Gwagwalada police station.
Yakubu said that the complainant, Ofor Ikechukwu of Dera international hotel Kuje, Abuja reported the matter at the police station on Jan. 19.
He said that the convicts also stole two ceiling fans and eight unit of bed=side fridge all valued N2, 771,000 million without the consent of the complainant.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 348, 79 and 289 of the penal code.
