Hanifa Abubakar: Court Fixes Judgement Day In Murder Trial

A Kano High Court has fixed July 28, 2022, to deliver its judgment in the case of a school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko, charged with the alleged murder of his five-year-old pupil.

The Kano State Government filed five counts of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetting, kidnapping and concealing dead body against Tanko, Hashimu Isyaku, and Fatima Musa, February 14, 2022.

The defendants, however pleaded not guilty to the charges, with the main accused person retracting his earlier self-confession to the murder.

Justice Usman Na’abba fixed the date after the Defense and Prosecution Counsel adopted their final written addresses.

Earlier, the defence counsel, Hasiya Muhammad, in adopting her final written addresses dated and filed on May 31, 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.

The prosecution counsel, Deputy Director Public Prosecution (DPP), Rabi Ahmad, in her final written addresses dated and filed June 6, prayed the court to convict and sentence the three defendants as charged.

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

The defendants closed its case on May 10 with three witnesses- the defendants.

The prosecution counsel on April 12, closed its case against the defendants with nine witnesses and tendered 14 exhibits to prove their case.

Tanko, the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, was alleged to have kidnapped Hanifa, on December. 4, 2021, and later murdered her.