HANIFA: Kano govt re-arraigns school proprietor, four others

The Kano State government on Monday re-arraigned a school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko, at the state High Court for alleged murder of five-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, last year.

Tanko, who is the proprietor of Nobel Kids School at Kwanar Dakata, Nasarawa local government area of Kano State, was re-arraigned alongside Hashimu Isyaku, Fatima Musawho and two other persons on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing of dead body.

Tanko and Isyaku pleaded guilty on the first count charge of criminal conspiracy and pleaded not guilty to the other four charges, while Musawho pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, told the court that the defendants sometimes in November last year conspired and kidnapped the deceased while returning from school.

He alleged that Tanko abducted the girl and held her hostage in his house located at Tudun Murtala for days and killed her with poison.

READ ALSO: HANIFA: Kano govt revokes private schools’ licenses

Abdullahi-Lawan said: “In the process, the second defendant, Isyaku, buried her in a shallow grave in the premises of Northwest Preparatory School situated at Kwanar Yan Ghana, Tudun Murtala, Kano.

“On December 27, 2021, the third defendant, Musa wrote a letter to the victim’s family on behalf of Tanko, demanding the sum of N6million as ransom.”

He said the prosecution would present four witnesses or more to prove its case on the next adjourned date.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened Sections 97, 95 and 273,274(b) and 277 of the Penal Code Laws of Kano State 1991.

The defence counsel, Barr. Mukhtar Labaran-Usman, made an application through Section 36(b) of the 1999 constitution, requesting all the documents to enable him to prepare for an accelerated hearing of the matter.

Justice Usman Na’abba ordered the remand of the defendants in a correctional facility and adjourned the matter till March 2 and 3 for hearing.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now