#JusticeForHanifa: Teacher kidnaps, kills five-year-old pupil after receiving N6m ransom, Kano Government shuts school

The Kano State Government has ordered the immediate closure of a private school, Noble Kids Academy, in Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state, where abductors of a pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, were said to have killed and buried her remains.

Five-year-old Hanifa was abducted late last year and one of those involved in the operation was her teacher, Abdulmalik Mohammed Tanko.

The abductors demanded a ransom of N6million but went ahead to kill her after receiving the money.

“On investigation, Abdulmalik confessed that the victim, Hanifa was his student at a private school in Kwanar Dakata, Nassarawa 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 (N6,000,000),” the Public Relations Officer of the Kano Police Command, Haruna Kiyawa, said on Friday.

“On the 18/12/2021, having realised that the victim recognized him, he claimed to have poisoned her to death, conspired with one Hashim Isyaku and buried her in a shallow grave within the private school premises located at Kwanar ‘Yan Gana, Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State.”

Across social media, the hashtag #JusticeForHanifa began to trend late Thursday, with many sympathising with the family and calling for justice to be served.