Teenager Sentenced to 4 Lashes of Cane for Obeying Devil’s Dictate in Abuja

A 19-year-old man, Salisu L., has been sentenced to four lashes of cane for obeying the dictates of the ‘devil’ to trespass into a private property.

A Grade 1 Area Court, Karmo, Abuja, on Tuesday sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of criminal trespass and attempt to commit felony.

The Area court judge, Abubakar Sadiq, warned the convict to desist from committing further crimes. “I hope this will serve as deterrent to other would be offenders,” he said.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Zannah Dalhatu, told the court that Anagor Chuks of Area 11 Garki, Abuja, reported the matter at Utako Police Station, Abuja, on Aug. 20.

Dalhatu said the complainant, a security guard at Sudan Street, Wuse, Zone 6, reported that the defendant jumped into the compound with an intention to steal.

“The complainant caught the defendant and took him to the police station,” he said.

He said the offence contravened sections 343 and 96 of the Penal Code.

Lawal had urged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that “it was the devil that led me to jump the fence”. “I had no intention to commit any crime,” he said.