The Court of Appeal sitting in Kano has reaffirmed the death sentence imposed on Abdulmalik Tanko for the kidnapping and murder of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar.
Justice A.R. Muhammad, who delivered the judgement on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, dismissed Tanko’s appeal and upheld the decision of the Kano State High Court, ruling that the trial court acted correctly in law and in its evaluation of the evidence presented before it.
The judge said the appellate court found the arguments raised by the appellant to be lacking in merit, noting that the evidence presented by the respondents was compelling and convincing.
Justice Muhammad held that there was no basis for the appellate court to interfere with the judgement of the lower court and urged the government to ensure that the sentence is enforced once the convict has exhausted all available avenues of appeal.
Hanifa Abubakar was abducted in December 2021 by Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of Noble Kids Academy, located in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
Tanko had demanded a ransom of N6 million from Hanifa’s family before injecting her with rat poison, which resulted in her death.
The case sparked nationwide outrage and condemnation due to the victim’s young age and the betrayal of trust involved, as Tanko was the owner of the school Hanifa attended.
Tanko was arraigned on January 24, 2022, alongside Isyaku Hashim and Fatima Jibril, on charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, unlawful confinement and culpable homicide.
On July 28, 2022, the Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Usman Na’abba, sentenced Tanko and Hashim to death by hanging, while Fatima Jibril was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
