Suspected killers of 5-year-old Kano pupil, Hanifa, know fate July 28

Justice Usman Naabba of the Kano State High Court on Tuesday fixed July 28 for ruling in the trial of Abdulmalik Tanko and two other persons for the alleged murder of a five-year-old pupil in the state, Hanifa Abubakar.

The state government had in February arraigned Tanko, who is the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, alongside the duo Hashimu Isyaku and Fatima Musa for the murder of the young girl in November last year.

The defendants were arraigned on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing dead body.

The government alleged that the defendants conspired and kidnapped the five-year-old while she was returning from school.

When the case resumed for the adoption of final written addresses on Tuesday, the defense counsel, Barr. Hasiya Imam, told the court that the defense filed its final written address on May 31.

He said: “My Lord, we seek to adopt our final written address as our oral argument and urge the court to consider all our submissions and discharge all the 3 defendants.”

In his address, the prosecution counsel, Lamido Abba Soron Dinki, said the prosecution filed its own address on June 6, and prayed the court to adopt it as their final argument in the trial and convict the three defendants.

He urged the court to take note of the 2nd defendant’s confessional statement.

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

He said: “My Lord, the 2nd defendant knew that the victim died and he was given money to bury her.”

The counsel told the court that Hashimu is standing trial under Section 277 of the penal code, which is the concealment of the kidnapped person.

“Section 277 of penal code carries the same punishment of death sentence with section 275 paragraph (b). We pray the court to uphold the death sentence against Isiyaku,” he added.

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