A Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court has convicted a 21-year-old scavenger, Ibrahim Usman, to eight strokes of cane as punishment for stealing a she-goat.

Ibrahim who admitted committing the offence, pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy, saying that he was misguided by his friends.

The Prosecution Counsel, Inspector Chidi Leo told the Court that the convict committed the offense on October 6, at Ungwan Rimi in Kaduna.

He said the convict confessed that he stole the goat from his neighbor’s house when he was taken to the police station for questioning and that the offence contravened the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.

Leo said the convict who was caught by members of the vigilante group with the goat at Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, could not give a satisfactory explanation to how he got it.

Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, while issuing the verdict explained that the Court was merciful with the defendant because he did not waste time in admitting his guilt.