Hanifa: Accused To Know Fate July 28

The trial judge in the murder of  a five-year-old girl,  Justice Usman Na’aba, has fixed 28th July, 2022, to pass judgement  so that the principal actors in the case would know their fate.

The case of late Hanifa Abubakar is virtually coming to an end as the court has fixed July 28th for judgment.

Hanifa was allegedly kidnapped and later killed by the proprietor of her school, one Abdulmalik Tanko, who kidnapped her and later snuffed life out of her.

It was as a result of the alleged murder of the five year-old  that the Kano State Government filed a  five-count charges of criminal conspiracy,  abetment, kidnapping and concealing of dead body against Tanko, Hashimu Isyaku, 37, and Fatima Musa, 26,

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and 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, and  deputy director Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Rabi Ahmad, in her final written address dated and filed June 6, prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.

Ahmad argued that the second defendant (Isyaku) was standing trial for concealing 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.

The defendants had closed its case on May 10 with three witnesses. The defence witnesses were the three defendants.

On the other hand, 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, held her hostage in his house at Tudun Murtala for days before killing and buried 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.