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Hanifa’s Murder: Court overrules suspects over alleged torture, threat to life

By Murtala Adewale, Kano
09 March 2022   |   11:48 am
Justice Usman Na'aba has overruled allegations of threat to life, confession under-duress and torture raised by Abdulmaliq Tanko, the prime suspect in the murder case of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil of Noble Kiddies Academy. At the resumption of the criminal trial on Wednesday, Justice Na'aba declared that there was no substantive evidence brought before…

Justice Usman Na’aba has overruled allegations of threat to life, confession under-duress and torture raised by Abdulmaliq Tanko, the prime suspect in the murder case of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil of Noble Kiddies Academy.

At the resumption of the criminal trial on Wednesday, Justice Na’aba declared that there was no substantive evidence brought before the court to prove the suspects were not responsible for their earlier statements.

In his ruling on trial within a trial, Justice Na’aba declared that Abdulmaliq could not clearly prove the identity of the device which he claimed was used to penetrate his body parts, thereby dismissing the suspects’ argument.

Abdulmaliq (first defendant) and Fatima Musa (third defendant), at the last sitting, denied signing the confessional statement brought against them by the police.

The prime suspect also revealed that he was electrocuted with the unknown device and threatened with dangerous weapons by the security agents while making a statement that he claimed he refused to sign.

The third defendant similarly told the court that she was threatened and offered N250,000 compensation if she offer to cooperate with the security officers while obtaining her confession.

The revelation ensued when the defense counsel, Barr. Muktar L. Usman objected the submission of the first security witness Sergeant Rilwan Ibrahim for what he described as inconsistency in the evidence of the first and third suspects’ statements.

Usman who also doubles as deputy director at Legal Aid Council, Kano office, faulted the method applied by the police to obtaining the suspects’ statement, insisted the security failed to comply with provisions of the Criminal Administration of Justice Act (CAJA).

Usman later sought the court’s permission to order for a trial within a trial, to clear the claim and counterclaim where the first (Tanko) and third (Fatima) suspects made contrary claims.

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