The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Kano State, Abdulkarim Maude, has commended the Court of Appeal for affirming the conviction and death sentence of Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of Nobel Kids Academy and North West Preparatory School, over the abduction and killing of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar.
Maude gave the commendation on Wednesday in Kano, describing the appellate court’s verdict as a landmark decision that strengthens public confidence in the justice system and reinforces the principle of accountability for heinous crimes.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant (Media), Abubakar Ibrahim, the attorney-general said the judgment underscored the resolve of the courts to ensure that crimes against innocent and vulnerable citizens do not go unpunished.
According to him, the ruling sends a clear signal that criminal acts, particularly those involving children, will attract the full weight of the law.
Maude also lauded the prosecuting counsel, Lamido Abba Sorondinki, a State Counsel in the Kano State Ministry of Justice, for what he described as diligence, professionalism and unwavering commitment in handling the case from trial to appeal.
He reaffirmed the Kano State government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting lives, stressing that justice would continue to be dispensed without fear or favour.
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It would be recalled that on July 28, 2022, a Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Usman Mallam Na’abba sentenced Abdulmalik Tanko to death by hanging for masterminding the kidnap and murder of Hanifa Abubakar.
Tanko was convicted alongside Hashimu Isyaku after the court found that they conspired to abduct the child from the Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi Islamic Foundation, killed her and buried her in a shallow grave within the premises of Northwest Preparatory School at Kwanar Yan Ghana, Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state.
In 2024, the convicts approached the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, challenging their death sentences.
However, the appellate court dismissed the appeals and upheld the judgment of the lower court.
