President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje have both promised justice for little Hanifa Abubakar, the five-year old girl abducted and murdered by her teacher in Kwanar Dakata, Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The teacher, Abdulmalik Tanko, who is also the proprietor of the school (Noble Kids Academy), collected ransom from the parents of Hanifa, but still killed the little girl and buried her body in the school’s premises.
The corpse of Hanifa, who was abducted in November last year, was discovered in a shallow grave in the school’s premises last Thursday by security agents, about two months after she was declared missing.
On Friday, Buhari sympathised with the family Hanifa, and praised police and the secret service operatives for unraveling the mystery behind the disappearance of Hanifa, “particularly for the arrest of her teacher and his other accomplices suspected of the child’s kidnap and murder.”
In a statement issued by Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, the President also said the family and the whole nation, which followed up on Hanifa’s travail every day since her disappearance, were hoping for the girl to have been rescued alive and well.
He added, however, that the very thorough and painstaking detective operation by law enforcement bodies, leading to the discovery of the corpse and the arrest of the suspects, who had already made confessions, was commendable, calling it an achievement that should instill more public confidence in the authorities.
Buhari said: “When breakthroughs like this happen, people will talk differently of law enforcement.”
The President prayed for the repose of the soul of the little school girl and urged her parents to bear the sad loss with courage and fortitude in God.
Buhari, however, urged the Police and the Kano State Ministry of Justice to uphold the integrity of the detective work that busted the case by preparing well and presenting a good case that would earn the respect of the court.
Ganduje Vows to Secure Justice for Hanifa
Meanwhile, Governor Ganduje on Friday assured that government would continue to meticulously monitor and ensure the prosecution of anyone found culpable in the kidnap and murder of Hanifa.
This was contained in a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba.
The governor said already, measures taken in the matter include the indefinite closure and withdrawal of the operating license of the school where the child was allegedly murdered.
He said the Kano State Government was terribly disturbed that the people entrusted with the care of the child turned out to be her murderers.
Ganduje added that the government had been in touch with the family of the child and would remain so until justice prevailed in the case to serve as a deterrent to others.
The governor, who commended security agencies in the state for the prompt action that led to the arrest of those allegedly involved, stated that “while investigation is ongoing, the government will meticulously follow the case to its logical conclusion.”
He also commended the international community, human rights-based organisations and well-meaning Nigerians for their concern in the matter.
The Kano State Commissioner for Education, Muhammad Kiru, who announced closure of the school, also said the state government would commence investigation of unregistered private schools and teachers to check such criminal activities.
‘I Killed Hanifa with N100 Rat Poison’
There was drama at the headquarters of the Kano State Police Command on Friday, when the killers of Hanifa were paraded.
Fatima Maina, mother of the murdered girl, attacked the teacher/school proprietor (Tanko) who was the mastermind of the killing.
A source at the police station said: “The parents of the child were the ones who got there first. Later, Tanko and other suspects were brought in by the police. Immediately Fatima sighted Tanko, she charged towards him, raining slaps and blows on him as she demanded why he took her daughter’s life. The drama continued for a while until policemen whisked the prime suspect away.”
Later, Tanko narrated how he used a N100 rat poison to kill Hanifa.
He said: “I picked her inside Keke NAPEP and I carried her to my own house where I lied to my wife that the girl was a daughter to one of the women working in my school and that the mother travelled and pleaded for us to keep the girl for some days. My wife accepted and kept the girl for that reason.
“I realised that the girl’s parents were informed that when picking her up, she made mention of ‘uncle’. This gave me the impression that they might be suspecting me as the uncle.
“Then after some time, after some days, some of my teachers visited my house very early in the morning and when they came, I was also suspecting that they were sent over to the house to find out whether the girl was there with me.
“So, I decided that it was better I found a way before I would be caught. I first thought of sending this girl to another state but again, I thought the whole town was aware that she was missing. If the girl was going to be sent out through the main roads, we would be caught. So, that was when I conceived the idea of killing her.
“I picked her up at home; she was already sleeping, it was getting to 11pm. I picked her up… I used to always drink tea… I was drinking tea at that time, so I put the remaining tea in an empty container of BoBo yogurt and then I poured in this rat killer poison inside and gave it to the girl, not in my own house.
“When we went to the other school, when we were passing, I told her that I was taking her back to her uncle’s house. So, as we were going, I gave her the drink on the road and she drank it and then we entered one branch of the school; the branches are two. We entered the other branch with her and I told her I was going to pick something inside. She entered and that was where she finally died.
“I bought the poison N100. I buried her in the school. Let me clear this doubt. People are thinking that it has to do with ritual, this is not rituals. I buried her inside the school simply because I was not able to find any secure place to dig a hole.”
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