Lack of legal representation stalls trial of Alleged Killers of Five year old Hanifa.

By Khadija Aliyu

Lack of lewyers has stalled the trial of Abdulmalik Tanko and his accomplice before a Kano High Court for alleged murder of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar.

Earlier, Abdulmalik, Hashimu and Fatima were arraigned on Jan.24, before a Chief Magistrates’ Court on four-count charge of culpable homicide, conspiracy, kidnapping and concealing/keeping in confinement a kidnapped person.

The case was later moved to a high court of justice,due to what the prosecution council described as lack of jurisdiction by the magistrate court to treat the case.

When the accused persons were arraigned before the High Court on Monday, they were docked without a legal representation.

The state counsel, who doubles as the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, M. A. Lawal, prayed to the court to decide if the proceeding should go ahead because it appears that the accused persons do not have lawyers.

The Attorney-General then prayed to the court to adjourn the hearing to February 14 to enable the state provide lawyers for the accused persons as they requested.

“The state will ensure that the defendants has legal representation so that case will go on”

Justice Usman Na’abba, ordered the remand of the defendants in a Correctional centre and adjourned the matter until Feb.14, for further mention.

Recall that,Tanko, who is the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, conspired with the two others to kidnap his student Hanifa.

” Tanko held Hanifa hostage in his house situated at Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano, for six days and killed her with a rat poison,put her corpse into a sack and buried her in a shallow grave on Dec.10,2021.

The offences according to the prosecution counsel, contravened the provision of Sections 97, 274, 277 and 221 of the Penal Code.