Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is insisting that the alleged killer of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil of Noble Kids Academy, must be punished in accordance with the murder and anti-kidnapping laws of the state. Hanifa’s killing has elicited outrage throughout the country.
Governor Ganduje is among many Nigerians who have been outraged by the killing of the minor by her 30-year-old teacher Abdulmalik Mohammed Tanko who is the proprietor of her school.
The culprit was charged to court for alleged homicide, following his confession that he used rat poison to kill the victim, after collecting a ransom of N100, 000 from her parents.
Ganduje, who said he is waiting to sign the suspect’s death penalty, also yesterday assured Nigerians of “diligent scrutiny of schools for maximum security.” He has also withdrawn the operational licences of the deceased’s school which has been burnt down by angry youths.
“Justice must be done as a punishment to the gruesome murder of Hanifa Abubakar Abba -the five-year-old pupil who was murdered by her teacher, who supposed to be her caregiver,” Ganduje stated during the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at Africa House Kano.
He said: “The state will do everything possible to see that justice is done in this case. We shall do our best to see that the process is done within the shortest possible time.
“I am also assuring all that the culprit will get the desired judgment for his heinous act.
“Our schools will continue to be assessed to ensure that they are safe on the right track. We want to improve on our efforts in securing our schools and our children.
“We also praise security agents for tracking down Hanifa’s alleged killer. The state government will continue to do its best for the security of Kano State.”
