Hanifa Abubakar (April 5, 2016 - December 18, 2021)
The harrowing case of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old Nigerian girl, has shocked the nation. Hanifa was kidnapped and murdered by Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of her school, Noble Kids Academy, in Nassarawa, Kano State, Nigeria. The young age of the victim and the brutal manner of her death have drawn significant media attention.
Quick Facts About Hanifa Abubakar
Born: April 5, 2016, Nassarawa, Kano State, Nigeria
Died: December 18, 2021 (aged 5), Nassarawa, Kano State, Nigeria
Cause of Death: Homicide by Abdulmalik TankoBody
Discovered: January 20, 2022, Kwanar Dakata, Nassarawa, Kano State, Nigeria
Nationality: Nigerian
Known For: Being a murder victim
Background
Hanifa Abubakar was the only daughter of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Abubakar. Her tragic end has left a deep void in their lives.
Disappearance and Murder
On December 2, 2021, Hanifa was on her way home from an evening Islamic school in her hometown of Kwantar Dakata, Nassarawa, Kano State. Abdulmalik Tanko, the owner of her school, abducted her using a tricycle. Tanko initially sent his friend Aliyu Isiyaku and a woman named Fatima Musa to kidnap Hanifa, under the pretense that her mother had sent them. Hanifa refused to go with them, but Tanko later picked her up himself, as she recognized him and trusted him.
Tanko took Hanifa to his house in Tudun Murtala, Nassarawa, and kept her under his wife's care, lying that she was the child of a teacher who had traveled. On December 4, 2021, Tanko demanded a ransom of ₦6,000,000.00 (approximately $14,600) from her family. Realizing that Hanifa recognized him, Tanko decided to poison her. On December 18, 2021, he laced a yogurt-based drink with rat poison and gave it to Hanifa, who drank it and died shortly after. Tanko then buried her body in a shallow grave with the help of Hashim Isyaku.
Investigation and Discovery
The Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Security (DSS) arrested Abdulmalik Tanko after a prolonged investigation. Tanko confessed to kidnapping and murdering Hanifa and, along with Hashim Isyaku, led authorities to the burial site at the school premises. Hanifa's body was exhumed and taken to Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialists Hospital, Kano, before being released to her family for burial.
Reactions
The murder of Hanifa Abubakar garnered widespread media coverage and public outrage. The hashtag #JusticeForHanifa trended on social media as people expressed their shock and grief. In response, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje revoked the operational licenses of all private schools in the state to prevent similar incidents. Despite the government's actions, on January 24, 2022, angry youths set the school on fire in the middle of the night.
Trial
On January 24, 2022, Abdulmalik Tanko and the other suspects, Isyaku Hashim and Fatima Jibril, were arraigned in a magistrate court in Kano. They faced charges of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, concealing/keeping in confinement a kidnapped person, and culpable homicide. On July 28, 2022, the Kano State High Court sentenced Abdulmalik and Hashim to death, while Jibril received a two-year prison sentence.
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