Court fixes July 28 to deliver judgment on Hanifa’s murder

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

The Kano State Government filed five counts of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing dead body against Tanko, Hashimu Isyaku, 37, and Fatima Musa, 26, Feb.14.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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

Earlier, the defence counsel, Mrs 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), Mrs Rabi Ahmad, in her final written addresses dated and filed June 6, 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.

Tanko, the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, was alleged to have kidnapped Hanifa, on Dec. 4, 2021, and held her hostage in his house at Tudun Murtala for days before killing and burying her in a shallow grave on December 10, 2021.

The offence, the state said, contravened the provisions of sections 97, 95 and 273, 274(b) and 277 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kano State, 1991.

(NAN)