A High court, sitting in Kano on Wednesday, fixed April 12 and 14 for the continuation of hearing in the ongoing trial of a school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko, for the alleged murder of a five-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar.
At the resumed sitting for continuation of hearing, the prosecution counsel, Deputy Director Public Prosecution Kano State, Barr. Rabi Shehu-Ahmad, presented the late Hanifa’s mother as the seven prosecution witnesses and tendered 17 text messages, as exhibit.
Murja Suleiman, 38, in her testimony told the court that she is the biological mother of the late Hanifa, adding that she handed over Hanifa to her proprietor, Abdulmalik, at the Noble Kids Comprehensive College.
She maintained that on December 4, 2021, at about 8am she took the late Hanifa to Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Islamiyya School and the school normally closes at 5:30pm.
She added that the neighbour’s daughter, Maimuna Abubakar, after closing from Islamiyya school ran to the house and informed her that a tricyclist had gone with Hanifa, and Hanifa told her that it was her uncle that had taken her.
In a sober reflection, the witness told the court that on January 2, 2022, she received a call that the victim was with them and demanded a N6 million ransom.
“After 28 days of Hanifa’s abduction, I saw a black leather in front of my house containing her cardigan, school badge and printed black and white picture of my daughter,” Suleiman told the court.
The defence counsel, Barr. M. L. Usman, told the court that he was not ready for cross-examination and asked for an adjournment to enable him to prepare for the defence.
Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Naabba, adjourned to 12 and 14 April 2022 for cross-examination and continuation of hearing.
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