Hanifa Murder: Appeal Court Confirms Death Sentence for Abdulmalik Tanko

Hanifa Murder: Appeal Court Confirms Death Sentence for Abdulmalik Tanko

The Court of Appeal sitting in Kano has upheld the death sentence imposed on Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of Noble Kids Academy, for the murder of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar.

Delivering judgment, Justice A. R. Muhammad dismissed Tanko’s appeal and affirmed the ruling of the Kano State High Court, which sentenced him to death by hanging for the crime.

The appellate court held that the trial court acted correctly in law and properly evaluated the evidence presented by the prosecution. Justice Muhammad described the prosecution’s case as strong, compelling and convincing, adding that the appellant’s arguments lacked merit.

“The Court of Appeal finds no justification to interfere with the decision of the lower court,” the judge ruled, affirming the conviction and sentence.

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Justice Muhammad further urged the appropriate authorities to ensure that the judgment is carried out once the convict has exhausted all legally available avenues of appeal.

Hanifa Abubakar, aged five at the time, was abducted in December 2021 by Tanko, who owned the school she attended in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

After demanding a ₦6 million ransom from the child’s family, Tanko later administered rat poison to the victim, which led to her death.

The case sparked nationwide outrage, not only because of the tender age of the victim, but also due to the breach of trust, as the crime was committed by the school proprietor entrusted with her care.

Tanko was arraigned on January 24, 2022, alongside Isyaku Hashim and Fatima Jibril, on charges of 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 Fatima Jibril was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

Hanifa Murder: Appeal Court Confirms Death Sentence for Abdulmalik Tanko