Yobe: 2 men arraigned for criminal conspiracy, cheating

From Uche Uche, Damaturu.

The Chief Magistrate Court 11 in Damaturu, Yobe state capital, presided over by Hadiza Lawan Musa, has arraigned two men, Abdu Wada, a 30 years old male farmer of Jumbam village via Babangida,
headquarters of Tarmuwa local government area of Yobe state, and a 25 years old man, Bello Alhaji Ardo of the same address, on two count charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating.
Police prosecutor, Sgt, Bulama Maina, told the court that on the 24th of September, 2017, the accused persons criminally conspired and duped the complainant, Ja’o Abdu, a cattle breeder, and collected from him the sum of N21, 000, his Gione handset valued at N15, 000, an MP3 with memory card valued at N8, 000.
He told the court that the accused persons deceived the complainant by telling him that if he goes and fetch sand from Potash, he would become a rich man, with a warning not to look back when going to fetch the sand, but he eventually did and then saw the two accused persons running away and then quickly followed after them which led to the arrest of the said Abdu Wada.
He told the court that the offences committed by the accused persons is punishable under sections 97 and 325 of the penal code law.
When the charges against the accused persons were read out to them in the court, they pleaded not guilty to any of the charges.
Testifying before the court, the complainant stated that the said Wada Abdu first approached him asking for somebody he said he does not know and then he told him that he would give that person a medicine that would make him become rich and then enticed him to join and secure that promise which the complainant rejected then.
He told the court that as he was just speaking with the first accused person, the second person came and immediately offered to pay the sum of N150, 000 to secure the wand and then gave the money to the complainant to hold for him, after which he went and brought the sand.
He told the court that on seeing what the second accused person did, he believed him and then handed over to him the above mentioned sum and properties and was going away to fetch the sand but, on turning back, he saw the two running away and followed after them.
He stated that in the process of pursuing the, other people joined him and got the first accused person arrested and later asked to called the second accused person on phone, which led to him being arrested.
The prosecutor, following the pleading of not guilty by the accused persons, requested for adjournment to enable him provide his witnesses, leading to the adjournment of the case to the 31st day of October, for hearing.