Reactions Trail Killing of 5 Year Old Girl By Kidnappers In Kano

Residents of Kano and other northern Nigerian cities have reacted to the murder of a child named Hanifa by her kidnappers in Kano state after 47 days in captivity. 

There have been numerous online campaigns on her whereabouts since her abduction on Dec. 4, 2021, as she was returning from school. 

Hanifa was abducted around 5 p.m. by some unknown men, one of whom was later identified as her teacher, who had promised to take her home in a tricycle but fled with her, according to her uncle, Suraj Zubair. 

The kidnappers demanded ransom, and one of them was apprehended while attempting to retrieve the money from a nearby garbage can where he had asked for it to be placed. 

According to the arrested suspect, the girl was poisoned and her body was placed in a polythene bag. After a police investigation, the body was discovered. 

Residents expressed concern about their 

environment and the whereabouts of their children in the aftermath of the killing. 

“The story of Hanifa, the abducted 5-year-old Kano girl who was murdered by her abductors after collecting some ransom is a stark reminder of the type of evil people lurking around our communities. 

“Little Hanifa is gone, with all her dreams and innocence. No parent would be able to fully recover from this. No parent deserves to pass through tragedies such as this,” said Ahmed Musa Hussaini. 

Similarly, Professor Ibrahim Malumfashi, a lecturer at Kaduna State University said the kidnappings and subsequent killing should serve as a wake-up call to parents about the looming crisis in northern Nigeria. 

He advised residents to ensure that justice is served, else the problem will reoccur. 

“The point is to fight for her rights and ensure that justice is served. The point is, we must recognise that this should not be the normal case with us today,” he said.

Police react 

A statement by the  Kano state Police Command  on Thursday confirmed that Hanifa’s school teacher, Abdulmalik Tanko, was among the suspects who abducted her.

“Sometime 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,” SP Abdullahi Kiyaw, the command spokesperson said in the statement. 

The police spokesperson also said Hashim Isyaku and  Fatima Jibreel Musa, from Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State, were also arrested by a team of the Department of State Service (DSS) Kano State in connection with the case.

“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,” the statement reads in part. 

The police spokesperson said the case will be charged to court upon completion of investigation.