Judge Usman Na’abba of a High Court in Kano State has sentenced Abdulmalik Tanko, the self-confessed killer of Hanifa Abubakar, to death by hanging. 

The High Court sentenced Tanko and Hashimu Isyaku, Tanko’s co-defendant, to death on Thursday. Na’abba also sentenced one Fatima Musa to two years imprisonment.

Tanko was the proprietor of the school Hanifa attended. The police had arrested him in January for his involvement in the kidnapping and killing of five-year-old Hanifa.

The 34-year-old had confessed to killing little Hanifa with rat poison and burying her in a shallow grave, and the Kano State Government had arraigned him, alongside Isyaku, 37, and one Musa, on a five-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing a corpse. 

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The offences are in contravention of sections 97, 95 and 273, 274(b) and 277 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kano State 1991. 

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Tanko and Isyaku pleaded guilty to the first count of criminal conspiracy but pleaded not guilty to the other four counts. Musa pleaded not guilty to all five charges. 

The prosecution closed its case on April 12 after calling nine witnesses and tendering 14 exhibits to prove its case. 

The defendants testified for themselves. 

Hanifa was a student of Noble Kids School before her demise. After her abduction around the school, Tanko asked her family for a N6 million ransom. He confessed to the police that he poisoned the girl’s food after she recognised him.