Kidnapper kills 5-year-old girl despite collecting part of N6m ransom
The abductor of a 5-year-old girl, Hanifa Abubakar, who whisked her away on December 4, 2021 in Kano have killed her despite collecting a part of the six million naira ransom which they had demanded.
Periscope International recalls that Hanifa was abducted by her assailant, who came in a commercial tricycle and lured her to enter for a joyride when she and other neighbourhood children were returning from an Islamic school.
Confirming the sad development, Suraj Suleiman, an uncle to the little girl disclosed that her remains were recovered in the premises of a mushroom private school in Tudunwada area of Kano.
Suleiman further explained that the abductor initially took the poor girl to his wife, but his wife refused to keep her.
He said, “After his wife rejected to keep Hanifa, he took her to Tudunwada where he operates a private school and then laced her tea with rat poison.
“After she was poisoned to death, the kidnappers then cut her body into pieces and buried it within the school.”
Luck however ran out of the criminals when they were arrested around Zaria Road in Kano while attempting to collect the second tranche of the ransom.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the principal suspect, Abdulmalik Tanko, who was the late Hanifa’s school teacher and also the proprietor of a private school, Noble Kids School, Kano.
Sources said he was among the first set of people who came to console her parents after the abduction and was full of tears when he visited the family to console them over the abduction.
The police in a statement issued by its spokesman on Thursday said, “Sometimes on the 04/12/2021 at about 2030hrs, a report was received from a resident of Dakata Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State that, one Hanifa Abubakar, ‘f’, aged 5 years old, was kidnapped and a ransom of Six Million Naira (N6,000,000.00) was demanded,” police said in a statement by the command spokesman, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa.
“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, fsi meets with heads of Security Agencies in the State, re-strategizes for effective service delivery and raised a team of Operation Puff Adder led by SP Shehu Dahiru to arrest the culprits.
“Sustained efforts and prolonged follow – up led to the arrest of one Abdulmalik Mohammed Tanko, ‘m’, aged 30 years old, of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State and one Hashim Isyaku, ‘m’, aged 37 years old, of same address by a detective team of the Department of State Service (DSS) Kano State.
“On investigation, Abdulmalik confessed that, the victim, Hanifa is 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 (N6,000,000.00). On the 18/12/2021, having realized that, the victim recognized him, he claimed to have poisoned her to death, conspired with one Hashim Isyaku, ‘m’, took and buried her in a shallow grave located at the private school premises located at Kwanar ‘Yan Gana, Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State.
“Hashim also confessed that, sometimes in the month of November, 2021, the principal suspect, Abdulmalik met him and one Fatima Jibreel Musa, ‘f’, 27 years old, of Layin Falaki Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA Kano State and ordered them to kidnap Hanifa. They plan but later rescinded their action. Fatima was also arrested.
“The suspects led a combine Team of Operatives of DSS Kano State, Kano State Police Command’s Medical Team and Team of Operation Puff Adder to the scene. The body was exhumed and rushed to Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital Kano, examined, confirmed dead by a Medical Doctor and release to the relatives for burial according to Islamic Rites.
“Case will be charged to court upon completion of investigation.”
