A 5-year-old girl, Hanifa Abubakar, has been killed by her abductors who also caught her remains into pieces and buried them in a shallow grave in Kano State.
One of those arrested in connection to the abduction and killing, Abdulmalik Tanko, is the proprietor of a private school in Nasarawa Local Government, where the victim’s remains were found.
Tanko, who is the proprietor of Noble Kids School, was said to be among the first set of persons to visit the girl’s parents.
“He was full of tears when he visited the family to console them over the abduction,” Daily Nigerian quoted an uncle of the deceased, Suraj Sulaiman.
It was gathered that one of the kidnappers first took the girl to his wife but the wife declined to accept her.
“The kidnapper first took Hanifa to his wife, but the wife refused to keep her. He then took her to Tudunwada where he operates a private school and then laced her tea with rat poison.
“After she was poisoned to death, the kidnappers then cut her body into pieces and buried it within the school,” Sulaiman said.
The Kano State Police Command confirmed Hanifa’s killing in a statement by the command spokesman, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa.
“Sometimes on the 04/12/2021 at about 2030hrs, a report was received from a resident of Dakata Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State that, one Hanifa Abubakar, ‘f’, aged 5 years old, was kidnapped and a ransom of Six Million Naira (N6,000,000.00) was demanded.
“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, fsi meets with heads of Security Agencies in the State, re-strategizes for effective service delivery and raised a team of Operation Puff Adder led by SP Shehu Dahiru to arrest the culprits.
“Sustained efforts and prolonged follow – up led to the arrest of one Abdulmalik Mohammed Tanko, ‘m’, aged 30 years old, of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State and one Hashim Isyaku, ‘m’, aged 37 years old, of same address by a detective team of the Department of State Service (DSS) Kano State.
“On investigation, Abdulmalik confessed that, the victim, Hanifa is his student at a private school in Kwanar Dakata, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State. He kidnapped her and took her to his house where he contacted her relatives and demanded a ransom of Six Million Naira (N6,000,000.00). On the 18/12/2021, having realized that, the victim recognized him, he claimed to have poisoned her to death, conspired with one Hashim Isyaku, ‘m’, took and buried her in a shallow grave located at the private school premises located at Kwanar ‘Yan Gana, Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State.
“Hashim also confessed that, sometimes in the month of November, 2021, the principal suspect, Abdulmalik met him and one Fatima Jibreel Musa, ‘f’, 27 years old, of Layin Falaki Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA Kano State and ordered them to kidnap Hanifa. They plan but later rescinded their action. Fatima was also arrested.
“The suspects led a combine Team of Operatives of DSS Kano State, Kano State Police Command’s Medical Team and Team of Operation Puff Adder to the scene. The body was exhumed and rushed to Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital Kano, examined, confirmed dead by a Medical Doctor and release to the relatives for burial according to Islamic Rites.
The police spokesman noted that the case would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.