Hanifa Abubakar: A gruesome killing too many

Sir: For decades, Nigeria especially the Northern region has been faced with a lot of atrocities, ranging from kidnapping, banditry, rape and lots more of heinous and criminal acts. But the most annoying and heartbreaking of all, is the abduction and gruesome butchering of the 5-year old beautiful Hanifa Abubakar of Kano State, an incident, which has drawn national condemnation.

Hanifa Abubakar, had since December 4th, 2021, been kidnapped. A statement by the Police on Thursday, 20th January, 2022, said the school teacher, Abdulmalik Muhammed Tanko was the abductor and killer of his pupil, Hanifa.

“Sometimes on the 4th/12/2021, at about 2030hours, a report was received from a resident of Dakata Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State, that one Hanifa Abubakar, ‘F’ aged 5years old, was kidnapped and a ransom of (6,000,000,00) was demanded,” Police said in a statement by the Command Spokesman, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa.

“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shuaibu Dikko, meets with heads of security agencies in the state, re-strategizes for effective service delivery and raised a team of Operation Puff Adder led by SP Shehu Dahiru to arrest the culprits.

“Sustained efforts and prolonged follow-up led to the arrest of one Abdulmalik Muhammed Tanko ‘M’, aged 30 years old, of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State and one Hashim Isyaku, ‘M’ aged 37 years old, of same address by a detective team of the Department of State Services (DSS) Kano State.

“On investigation, Abdulmalik confessed that the victim, Hanifa is his student at a private school in Kwanar Dakata Nasarawa LGA, Kano State. He kidnapped her and took her to his house where he contacted her relatives and demanded a ransom of Six Million Naira (6,000,000,00). On the 18/12/2021, having realized that the victim recognized him, he claimed to have poisoned her to death, conspired with one Hashim Isyaku, ‘M’, took and buried her in a shallow grave located at Kwanar ‘Yan gana, Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State…”

Hmm! We are in the midst of saddest and most excruciating times in the history of the world. Indeed, the gruesome butchering of this harmless Hanifa is condemnable, and the perpetrators of this notorious crime must not go scot-free!
A very big kudos to the joint operatives of the Kano State Police Command and the DSS for their swift and tactical action in bringing the abductors and killers of this little girl to book.

No where is safe! Not even are our schools. Nobody is safe! Not even are the little ones who are termed as leaders of tomorrow. We need public execution of these kidnappers as a deterrent.

Family sources said, Abdulmalik Muhammed Tanko, the abductor and killer of Hanifa, was among the first set of people who went to console her parents. Hanifa is the latest victim of man’s inhumanity to man.

May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

• Mary Bawa, writes from Mass Communication Department, Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi State.
nmabawamary@gmail.com