Justice Usman Na’abba of Kano high court has reserved judgement and adjourned the case of a school proprietor Abdulmalik Tanko, for alleged murder of five year old Hanifa Abubakar.
The judge adjourned the matter to July 28 for judgment after the defense and prosecution counsel had adopted their final written addresses
Abdulmalik, Hashimu and Fatima all residents of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano, were arraigned on February 14, on five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing dead body.
The defendants, however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Earlier,the defense counsel Hasiya Muhammad, in adopting her final written address dated and filed on May 31,urged the court to consider the defendants and discharge them.
“We urge the court to adopt the written addresses as our oral argument in this case”
The prosecution counsel, Deputy Director Public Prosecution (DPP) Rabi Ahmad, in her final written addresses dated and filed June 6, urged the to convict and sentence the three defendants as charged.
Rabi argued that the second defendant (Isyaku) is standing trial on concealing dead body contrary to 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”
It would be recalled that the defendants close their defense on May 10 with three witnesses.
“The defense witnesses were the three defendants”
Meanwhile, the prosecution counsel had on April 12, closed it’s 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 his student Hanifa, on Dec. 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 offences are said to have contravened Sections 97, 95 and 273, 274(b) and 277 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kano State, 1991.
KHADIJAH ALIYU, KANO