A Kano State High Court sitting at Audu Bako has sentenced the proprietor of Nobel Kids Academy and North West Preparatory School, Abdulmalik Tanko, to death by hanging for the kidnap and killing of five-year-old school girl, Hanifa Abubakar.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, Justice Usman Na’abba, also sentenced Tanko’s conspirator, Isyaku Hashim, to death by hanging for concealment and kidnapping of the five- year-old.
The third defendant, Fatima Jibril, was however sentenced to two years for conspiracy and attempt.
Hanifa was abducted on December 4, 2021, on her way home from Islamiyya and subsequently discovered to have been killed by the convict, who is her teacher and school proprietor, after demanding N6 million ransom from her parents at Dakata, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
Delivering judgement Justice Na’abba said: “The first defendant (Tanko) is hereby sentenced to death by hanging and additional 5 years for criminal conspiracy.
“The second defendant (Hashim) is hereby sentenced to death by hanging and two years for conspiracy and another three years for attempt to kidnap.
“The third defendant (Fatima Musa), being a mother, has been sentenced to one year for attempt and one year for conspiracy.”
The trio were arraigned before the Kano State High court on a five-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, confinement, and culpable homicide contrary to sections 97, 274, 277, 221 of the penal code.
They were first arraigned on February 7, but the court had to adjourn due to lack of legal representation for the accused persons. They were late rearraigned on March 2.
The prosecution counsel was led by the Kano State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Musa Lawan, while the defence counsel was led by Barrister Asiya Muhammad Imam of Legal Aid Council.
Tanko had confessed to kidnapping and killing the victim with N100 rat poison before burying her in a shallow grave in one of his schools. He, however, recanted later, admitting only to kidnapping her.
