The Kano state police command has arraigned Abdulmalik Tanko, the self-confessed killer of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old girl.
Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, spokesman of the Kano police command, said the suspect was arraigned before a magistrate court in Kano on Monday.
Tanko(pictured on the right) was paraded by the police after confessing to the murder of the girl. He is the proprietor of Noble Kids Comprehensive College — the school Hanifa attended.
According to the police, the suspect, alongside two others, is being charged with “criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and culpable homicide”.
Tanko had confessed to the murder while answering questions on his involvement in the crime.
He revealed that he killed Hanifa with “rat poison” and buried her body in the school premises with the help of a friend.
“I lied to Fatima and Isyaku that the girl’s mother was the one behind the plan to kidnap the girl to extort her father,” he had said.
“After Hashimu and Fatima failed to kidnap the girl, I decided to carry out the kidnapping myself. I kidnapped her when she was returning from Islamic school and took her to my family house.
“She stayed in my family house for about two weeks before I killed her. I killed her after some teachers in my school came to my house.
“I became suspicious. I thought they came to investigate me because they said the girl had once mentioned my name. It was after that visit that I gave her rat poison. I then contacted my friend and asked for his help to dig a hole where the girl would be buried.
“I demanded the sum of N6 million from the parents. I contacted them through the phone number her parents gave the school.”Advertisement
A mob has since razed the school where the girl is said to have been buried. The school is located in Kwanar Dakata community in Nassarawa LGA of Kano state.
On Sunday, Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, said she is in support of capital punishment for the self-confessed killer.
By Dyepkazah Shibayan/TheCable
