A Kano High Court has fixed July 28 for the judgment of the case of a school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko, who was charged with alleged murder of a five-year-old pupil, Hanifa.
Gatekeepers News earlier reported that the Kano State Government filed five counts of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping, and concealing dead body against Tanko, Hashimu Isyaku, 37, and Fatima Musa, 26, on February 14.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Usman Na’abba, fixed the date after the Defence and Prosecution Counsel adopted their final written addresses.
Earlier, the defence counsel, 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,” Muhammad said.
On her part, the prosecution counsel, Deputy Director Public Prosecution (DPP), Rabi Ahmad, in her final written addresses dated and filed June 6, prayed the court to convict and sentence the three defendants as charged.
Ahmad argued that the second defendant (Isyaku) is standing trial for concealing a 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 closed their case on May 10 with three witnesses who were the three defendants.
On April 12, the prosecution counsel 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 Dec. 4, 2021, and held her hostage in his house at Tudun Murtala for days before killing and burying her in a shallow grave on December 10, 2021.
According to the State, the offence contravened the provisions of sections 97, 95 and 273, 274(b) and 277 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kano State, 1991.
