[JUST IN] Hanifa’s Killer Backtracks, Pleads Not Guilty

• Tanko, alongside his co-defendant denied committing the offences…

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Abdulmalik Tanko, the school proprietor and main accused person in the alleged murder of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar, has pleaded not guilty to the kidnap and murder of the young girl.

Tanko had earlier during his parade at the Kano State Police Headquarters confessed to journalists that he kidnapped and killed the victim with ₦100 rat poison before burying her remains in a shallow grave in one of his schools.

Read also: Hanifa: Court Remands Alleged Killer’s Wife

However, during his arraignment before a High Court in Kano on Monday, Tanko, alongside his co-defendant denied committing the offences.

While they pleaded guilty to the first count in the charge, which is a conspiracy; all three suspects pleaded not guilty to the four other counts, which included kidnapping, demanding ransom and murder of the victim.

Meanwhile, the trial judge has adjourned the matter to March 2 and 3 for the commencement of the hearing and ordered the accused persons to be remanded in the correctional centre.

Recall that Tanko, who owns two schools in Kano State; Nobel Kids Academy, and Northwest Preparatory School, had reportedly kidnapped the five-year-old on December 2, 2021.

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Thereafter, he demanded ₦6 million ransom from her distraught parents 10 days after the abduction. Subjected to emotional trauma by the devastating news, the pupil’s parents struggled to raise ₦100,000.

But unhappily, their hope that their joy-radiating daughter would be reunited with them was dashed when police investigation led to the discovery of the little girl’s remains in a shallow grave within the school compound.

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