By JOY KAKA

A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Wuse, Abuja, presided over by Magistrate Hafsat Amiru, has remanded a labourer, Muktar Murtala, in prison over alleged N1.8 million spiritual cleansing fraud.

Amiru also ordered the defence counsel, Helen Okpala, to make a formal bail application to the court in respect of her client, while and adjourning the matter until July 21 for hearing.

The police charged the defendant with joint act and cheating.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge,

Earlier, the Prosecuting Counsel, Simba Ibrahim, told the court that the complainant, one Mr. Aniwange Ferdinand, reported the matter at the Katampe Police Station on June 20.

Ibrahim alleged that the defendant and one Mohammed now at large connived and induced the complainant into delivering the said sum to them in order to help him play BET in January, 2023.

He added that the defendant collected the money for spiritual cleansing to ensure a sure win for the complainant in the bet game but converted the money to personal use.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 79 and 322 of the Penal Code.

The defence counsel, Helen Okpala, made a bail application for her client citing sections 158 and 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) urging the court to grant it in the most liberal terms.

The prosecution counsel however objected to the bail application saying that cheating of such nature was now very rampant, adding that he had enormous proof of evidence to present to the court.

He said that the defendant had high possibility of jumping bail, and advised the court to invoke section 165(2) of ACJA for the defendant to deposit half of the alleged sum as security for bail before he could be granted same.

Okpala in response said that the charge against the defendant were mere allegations and could not override the provisions of section 36(5) of the 1999 constitution which presumes the defendant innocent until proven otherwise. (NAN, excluding headline)