Groups demand justice for pupil murdered by proprietor in Kano

Two Non-Governmental Organisations: the Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa and the Unity Project Nigeria have condemned the gruesome murder of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil, who was abducted and eventually murdered by the proprietor of Noble Primary School in Kano.

They described the incident as “a harrowing tragedy” and demanded that the accused be brought to book for terminating the life of an innocent child placed in his care for academic development.

The groups, in a statement jointly signed by the Executive Director, Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa, Mr. John Mayaki and National Chairman, he Unity Project Nigeria, Jennifer Serrano, said: It is unfortunate that Nigerians are, once again, made to experience the painful loss of another child in an environment, where children ought to receive the most protection and be guaranteed safety.

“From all accounts, it appears the accused Proprietor, Mr. Tanko, is a remorseless murderer, who must be made to answer for the heinous crime of brutally terminating the life of an innocent and promising child.”

They said Hanifa’s death was one too many, as children were the most vulnerable in society and depended on adults’ protections for their development.

“A situation where a school, an environment that should ordinarily serve the purpose of intellectually stimulating pupils, becomes a death scene and hunting ground for predators is certainly unsustainable and calls for urgent actions,” they lamented.

Both called on the government to embark on a nation-wide assessment of schools to ensure that they remained conducive and safe for learning.

“We must secure justice for Hanifa and lay down a marker that no parent or family will be thrown into such a painful sorrow or made to question the decision of enrolling their ward in a school that is not safe…”