A 23-year-old man, Kingsley Timothy, was publicly flogged 15 strokes of the cane following the order of a Chief Magistrate Court in Kaduna, after he confessed to stealing two phones worth N650,000 from a church in the state.
Timothy, who lives in the Narayi area, received the punishment after admitting to the two-count charge of theft and pleading with the court for mercy.
Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel ordered the punishment and urged him to “be of good behaviour,” while warning that the court “would not be lenient with him next time.”
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that the case was reported by Richard Samuel of Christ Life Ministry on November 15. He said Timothy stole a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and an Infinix phone, both valued at N650,000, while they were charging in the church.
According to Leo, the suspect was caught shortly after the theft and handed over to the police, adding that the act violated Section 217 of the Kaduna State Penal Code of 2017.
He further stressed that communities “must stay alert even in places we assume are safe,” noting that incidents of theft in shared public areas have become increasingly common.
During the ruling, Magistrate Emmanuel declared that the punishment should serve as “a turning point for him,” adding that repeat offences “will not meet this level of leniency.”
