MARARABA – A Grade 1 Area Court in Aso Pada, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, on Thursday issued a warrant of arrest against three gamblers charged with criminal conspiracy and cheating.
At the resumed hearing, the accused persons, Hassan Khalib, 28, Emmanuel Bitrus, 28, and Joseph Azi, 25, all of no fixed address, were absent from the court.
The presiding judge, Mr Albert Maga, gave the order after prosecutor, PC Friday Adaji, informed the court that there was no correspondence on the reasons for their absence from court.
Adaji applied for the revocation of their bail and a warrant of arrest against them which the judge granted.
Maga adjourned the case until April 17 for continuation of hearing.
The accused persons were first arraigned on March 12.
On that same date, Adaji told the court that Johnson Joshua of Kabayi Village, Mararaba, and Ogar Odey of Airport Road, Abuja, both reported the case at the ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba, on March 10.
Adaji said that on March 10, the accused conspired and cheated Joshua of his StarTimes cell phone valued at N9,000.
The prosecutor alleged that the accused also fraudulently took away Joshua’s N8,500 cash in the name of gambling.
“They also cheated one Odey by collecting his Nokia phone valued at N4,000 and N5,900 cash, all in the name of gambling.’’ (NAN)
