Self-confessed killer of five-year-old Hanifa to know fate July 28

A Kano state high court has fixed July 28 for judgment in the case of Abdulmalik Tanko, the self-confessed killer of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old girl.

Tanko, proprietor of the school Hanifa attended, was paraded by the police in January 2022, during which he confessed to having killed the girl with rat poison and buried her in a shallow grave.

The Kano government had arraigned 34-year-old Tanko alongside 37-year-old Hashimu Isyaku and one Fatima Musa, aged 26, on a five-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing a dead body.

Although Tanko and Isyaku pleaded guilty to the first-count charge of criminal conspiracy, they pleaded not guilty to the other four counts.

The third defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The offences are in contravention of sections 97, 95 and 273, 274(b) and 277 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kano State, 1991.

The prosecution had closed its case on April 12 after calling nine witnesses and tendering 14 exhibits to prove its case.

The defendants testified for themselves.

At the court session on Tuesday, lawyers in the matter adopted their final written addresses.

While adopting her final address dated May 31, Hasiya Muhammad, counsel to the defendants, prayed the court to consider the defendants and discharge them.

“We urge the court to adopt our written addresses as our oral argument in this case,” she said.

However, Rabi Ahmad, prosecution counsel and deputy director of public prosecution (DPP), prayed the court to convict and sentence the three defendants as charged.

Ahmad argued that the second defendant (Isyaku) is standing trial for concealing a dead body contrary to the provisions of Section 277 of the Penal Code and punishable with death under Section 274(b).

“We urge the court to note the content of exhibit 12 (confessional statement) of the second defendant for burying late Hanifa’s corpse,” he said.

Usman Na’abba, the presiding judge, fixed July 28 for judgment.