Court Of Appeal Confirms Death Penalty For Hanifa Abubakar’s Murderer

According to Ireporter Online, the Court of Appeal sitting in Kano has upheld the death sentence handed down to Abdulmalik Tanko for the murder of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar.

Justice A. R. Muhammad, delivering the lead judgment, dismissed Tanko’s appeal and affirmed the ruling of the Kano State High Court, which had sentenced him to death by hanging. The appellate court found that the trial court had acted correctly both in law and in its assessment of the evidence presented by the prosecution.

The judge described the prosecution’s case as compelling and convincing, stating that the arguments presented by the appellant lacked merit. Justice Muhammad further emphasized that there was no justification to overturn or interfere with the lower court’s decision and urged relevant authorities to ensure the execution of the judgment once all legal avenues of appeal have been exhausted.

Hanifa Abubakar was abducted in December 2021 by Tanko, the proprietor of Noble Kids Academy in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, where she was a pupil. After demanding a ransom of ₦6 million from her family, Tanko reportedly administered rat poison to the child, resulting in her death.

The case generated nationwide outrage, both because of the victim’s young age and the severe breach of trust, as the crime was committed by the owner of the school responsible for her care.

Tanko was arraigned on January 24, 2022, alongside Isyaku Hashim and Fatima Jibril, facing charges including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, and culpable homicide. On July 28, 2022, the Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Usman Na’abba, sentenced Tanko and Hashim to death by hanging, while Jibril received a two-year prison term.