Killers of Hanifa Sentenced to Death by Hanging
Kano State High Court on Thursday passed judgement on the killers of 6 year old Hanifa Abubakar. Abdulmalik Tanko and Hashim Isyaku were sentenced to death by hanging, while the 3rd defendant Fatima Jibrin is to serve a 2 year sentence. Hanifa was a pupil at the school were Tanko was the proprietor.
Tanko, 38, Isyaku and Fatima Musa, 26, who all reside in Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano, were arraigned on February 14, on five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing of kidnap person.
Delivering judgment, Justice Usman Na’abba, held that the prosecution proved their case with ingredients beyond reasonable doubt, oral evidence of the defendants tendered by the Prosecution proved their case.
The court discharges and acquits the third defendant for abatement, sentenced to two years imprisonment for being a mother for conspiracy and attempt to kidnap,” the judge held.
Earlier, the defence counsel, pleaded for leniency and urged the court to temper justice with mercy on behalf of the defendants, the prosecution counsel, Attorney-General of Kano State, said the case is a crime against humanity and action must be taken to impose the maximum sentence against the first defendant, the first defendant was accused to kidnapped the lost and murdering
The prosecution counsel presented eight witnesses and tendered 14 exhibits to prove their case against the defendants and recovered N29,000, the defence witnesses were the three convicts.
The proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, was alleged to have kidnapped the victim, on December 1,2021, held her hostage in his house for days before the murdered committed
According to the confessional statement, the murderers injected a poisonous substance and collected N100,000 as ransom out of the N6 million demanded.
The offense, the state said contravenes the provisions of sections 97, 85 and 276, 274(b), 95 and 277 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kano State, 1991.