Female Undergraduate Gets 36 Strokes For Stealing Tomato

A female undergraduate identified as Maria from
a popular university in the Niger Delta region
was yesterday given 36 strokes of cane for
allegedly stealing a bowl of tomato seed at the
popular Ogbeogonogo Market in Asaba, Delta
State. Eyewitnesses said the lady, who was accompanied
by one of her class mates to the market to buy seed
tomato in preparation for her birthday celebration
today, was allegedly caught while taking the bowl
away without payment. Leadership Sunday gathered that the suspect had
excused her friend on the spot to buy other things
for the birthday when she unsuspectingly picked the
bowl of the tomato out and after a period of time of
search by the seller, she was found with the missing
bowl. The tomato seller's persistent shout for help
allegedly attracted the attention of other traders,
who helped her to catch the suspect, who was
attempting to board a car with the bowl of tomato. When the undergraduate saw that the game was up,
she allegedly dumped the tomato bowl into the
gutter, an action that drew the anger of other
traders. Upon interrogation, it was gathered that the dazed
suspect could only say: "Madam, I am sorry, I
never knew I took it along," claiming that it was "the
devil's work." The suspect, who claimed to be solely responsible
for her education after the death of her parents, was
allegedly given 36 strokes of cane by the angry
mob, who threatened to burn her alive but for the
intervention of local security agents. Only last Tuesday, a housewife was beaten to coma
for stealing pants at the same market.