Court of Appeal Upholds Death Sentence on Abdulmalik Tanko for Murder of Hanifa Abubakar
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Kano, has affirmed the conviction and sentence of death by hanging imposed on Abdulmalik Tanko for the kidnapping and murder of eight‑year‑old Hanifa Abubakar.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice A.R. Muhammad dismissed Tanko’s appeal and upheld the decision of the Kano State High Court. The appellate court held that the trial court properly applied the law and correctly evaluated the evidence before it.
Justice Muhammad noted that the appellant’s grounds of appeal were devoid of merit, stressing that the prosecution’s evidence was compelling and credible. He concluded that there was no basis to disturb the findings of the lower court.
The court further urged the government to ensure enforcement of the judgment once the convict has exhausted all available appellate remedies.
Hanifa Abubakar, a pupil of Noble Kids Academy in Nassarawa LGA, Kano State, was abducted in December 2021 by Abdulmalik Tanko, proprietor of the school.
Tanko demanded a ransom of ₦6 million from her family before administering rat poison, which led to her death.
The incident provoked widespread national outrage, given the victim’s age and the betrayal of trust by her school proprietor.
Tanko was arraigned on 24 January 2022, alongside Isyaku Hashim and Fatima Jibril on charges of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, and culpable homicide.
On 28 July 2022, Justice Usman Na’abba of the Kano State High Court convicted Tanko and Hashim, sentencing them to death by hanging, while Fatima Jibril was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
