Kano: Appeal court upholds d3ath sentence for k!ller of 5-year-old Hanifa Abubakar

The Court of Appeal sitting in Kano has reaffirmed the d3ath sentence imposed on Abdulmalik Tanko for the kidnapping and m8rder of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar. 

Justice A.R. Muhammad, who delivered the judgement on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, dismissed Tanko’s appeal and upheld the decision of the Kano State High Court, ruling that the trial court acted correctly in law and in its assessment of evidence before it.

According to the judge, the appellate court found the arguments of the appellant lacking in merit, saying the evidence presented by the respondents was compelling and convincing. 

He therefore held that there was no reason to interfere with the judgement of the lower court. Justice Muhammad also urged the government to ensure that the judgement is enforced once the convict has exhausted all available channels of appeal. 

Hanifa was abducted in December 2021 by Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of Noble Kids Academy in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

Tanko had demanded a ransom of N6m from her family before injecting her with rat poison, leading to her death.

The incident drew outrage and widespread condemnation across the country due to the victim’s age and the betrayal of trust involved, as Tanko was the owner of the school she attended. 

Tanko was arraigned on January 24, 2022, alongside Isyaku Hashim and Fatima Jibril on charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, unlawful confinement and culpable homicide. 

On July 28, 2022, the Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Usman Na’abba, sentenced the convict and Hashim to d3ath by hanging, while Fatima Jibril was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

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