Court adjourns trial of 19-year-old housemaid over non-appearance
The criminal trial of a 19-year-old housemaid in a Magistrates’ Court Karu, Abuja, has been postponed following her non-appearance in court.
The police charged the defendant, Basira Hassan, with a criminal breach of trust and cheating.
The prosecution, Mr Steven Osho, told the court that the matter was for hearing but the defendant and her surety were not in court.
“There is no message from the defendant and her surety to show cause why they are not in court for hearing of the case,” he said.
He prayed the court to issue a hearing notice to the surety to unfailingly produce the defendant by the next adjourned date.
The judge, Ms Lami Sani, granted the prosecutor application and adjourned the matter until Nov. 12 for hearing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant is being charged with defrauding the complainant, Mr Haruna Dauda, a POS operator of N870,00 on Aug. 8.
The prosecution said the defendant went to the complainant’s POS stand located at the Aviation Estate off Airport road Abuja to transfer money to some Opay micro finance bank accounts.
Osho said the defendant gave the complainant four accounts in which to make the payment and promised to give him cash after the transaction.
The prosecutor told the court that after the complainant completed the transaction, the defendant refused to give him the cash.
He said the defendant absconded but was accosted and handed over to the police.
Osho said the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.
