A Kano State High Court has sentenced Abdulmalik Tanko and Hashim Isyaku to death by hanging following their conviction for kidnapping and culpable homicide.
Abdulmalik Tanko, a school proprietor, and two others were charged for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, confinement, and culpable homicide contrary to sections 97, 274, 277, 221 of Kano State Penal Code 1991.
Delivering the judgement on Thursday, Justice Usman Na’abba ruled that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants criminally conspired to abduct and murder five-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar.
Tanko alongside Hashimu Isyaku and Fatima Musa, who lives at Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano, were facing a five-count charge along with the other two accused persons, of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing dead body.
Tanko and Isyaku pleaded guilty on the first count charge of criminal conspiracy and pleaded not guilty to the other four count charges, while the third defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The Star had earlier reported that Kano State Government had arraigned Abdulmalik Tanko alongside his accomplice friend, Isyaku, and Tanko’s girlfriend, Fatima Jibrin, for the charges.
The prosecuting counsel, who is also the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. A. M. Lawan pleaded with the Presiding Judge to give maximum sentence to the accused.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Usman Na’abba held that the prosecuting counsel proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants criminally conspired to abduct and murder five-year-old pupil Hanifa Abubakar.
Tanko, a proprietor of Noble Kids Comprehensive College and NorthWest Preparatory School, had kidnapped Hanifa, a pupil of one of his schools on December 4, 2021.
According to Justice Na’abba, the court relied on direct evidences, confessional statements and circumstantial evidences to pass the judgement.
“The defence counsel did not contradict or challenge the submission of the prosecuting counsel,” Na’abba said.
The judge ruled that first defendant, Abdulmalik Tanko, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the murder while five years jail term has been handed to him for the kidnapping.
The second defendant, Hashimu Isyaku, has been handed death penalty for murder; three and two years imprisonment for concealment and conspiracy.
The third defendant, Fatima Jibrin, according to the Judge, because of her situation as a nursing mother, was sentenced to one year for an attempted kidnapping and another one year for criminal conspiracy.
Fatima was, however, discharged and acquitted for abatement.
Justice Na’abba said that the exhibits 11, 12 and 13 presented against the defendants were reliable as they proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused perpetrated the crime.
“Pw1, Pw2, exhibit 11,12,13, and oral evidence of the defenfants tendered by the prosecution proved their case.
“The court discharges and acquits the third defendant, Musa, for abetment. She is sentenced to two years imprisonment being a mother for conspiracy and attempt to kidnap,” the judge held.
Earlier, the defence counsel, Mrs. Hasiya Muhammad-Imam, pleaded for leniency and urged the court to temper justice with mercy on behalf of the defendants.
“My Lord, Tanko is a father of three, Isyaku is the breadwinner of his family while Musa is a mother,” she pleaded.
The prosecution counsel, Attorney-General of Kano State, Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, said the case is a crime against humanity.
“I urge my Lord to impose the maximum sentence against the first defendant.
“The First defendant decided to kidnap Hanifa and decided to kill her because she is old enough to recognise him.
“The mother of late Hanifa should have justice,” Abdullahi-Lawan said.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had earlier told journalists that he would not hesitate to sign death penalty against the accused should the court found them guilty.
The prosecutor, who is also the Attorney General of Kano State, Barr. Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, had informed the court that sometimes in November 2021, the defendants conspired and kidnapped the five-year-old Hanifa while she was returning from Islamiyya school.
He alleged that Tanko, the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, had on Dec. 4, 2021, kidnapped and held Hanifa hostage in his house situated at Tudun Murtala for days and killed her with poison.
“In the process, the second defendant Isyaku buried her in a shallow grave in the premises of Northwest Preparatory School situated at Kwanar Yan Ghana, Tudun Murtala, Kano.
“On Dec. 27, 2021, the third defendant Musa wrote a letter to the victim’s family, on behalf of Tanko, demanding the sum of N6 million as ransom.”
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