Hanifa’s murder: Journalists barred from covering court proceedings

Journalists Wednesday were prevented from covering the trial of the suspected killers of Kano schoolgirl Hanifah Abubakar.

Reporters arrived at the court premises as early as 9 am to cover the hearing of the criminal case against three suspects Abdulmaliq Tanko, Hashimu Isyaku and Fatima Musa.

But they were barred from gaining entrance to the court premises by security operatives who had barricaded all entrances to the courtroom.

Although there was no clear directive from the court stopping journalists from covering the hearing before Justice Usman Na’aba, a credible source told reporters that the restriction was occasioned by a prosecution witness who pleaded to give account in “secret”.

However, the Kano state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Musa Abdullahi Lawan who addressed the press on the development said the restriction would be lifted after the witness testifies.

Tanko, Isyaku and Musa are facing a five-count charge along with the other two accused persons, of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing dead body.

Tanko and Isyaku pleaded guilty on the first count charge of criminal conspiracy and pleaded not guilty to the other four count charges, while the third defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The Prosecutor, who is also the Attorney General of Kano state, Barr. Musa Abdullahi-Lawan informed the court that sometime in Nov. 2021, the defendants conspired and kidnapped the five-year-old Hanifa while she was returning from Islamiyya school.

He alleged that Tanko, the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, had on Dec. 4, 2021, kidnapped and held Hanifa hostage in his house situated at Tudun Murtala for days and killed her with poison.

“In the process, the second defendant Isyaku buried her in a shallow grave in the premises of Northwest Preparatory School situated at Kwanar Yan Ghana, Tudun Murtala, Kano.

“On Dec. 27, 2021, the third defendant Musa wrote a letter to the victim’s family, on behalf of Tanko, demanding the sum of six million Naira as ransom.”