A 12-year-old student has been sentenced to 12 strokes of the cane by a Grade 1 Area Court at Nyanya, Abuja, for stealing his neighbour’s Nokia phone.
The student (names withheld) was arraigned on a two count charge of theft and trespassing, punishable under sections 349 and 287 of the Penal Code Law.
According to the Police prosecutor, Silas Nanpan, a certain Phillip Boniface, the boy’s neighbour, reported him to Nyanyan Police Station on the 4th of February.
Nanpan said the accused went into Boniface’s apartment while the latter was sleeping and stole a Nokia phone handset valued at N8, 500.
The stolen phone was recovered from the accused.
Presiding Judge Hassan Ishaq also ordered the accused to clear the bushes around the court premises as part of his sentence.
He advised him to be of good behaviour and asked his guardian who was present at the trial to monitor and train him.
