Hanifa: How Her Guradian Turned Killer Was Found

The Education Secretary of Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, where the five-year-old school girl, Hanifa Abubakar was kidnapped and gruesomely murdered by a teacher from her school, Mallam Rabiu Muhktar has spoken.

In an exclusive interview with Kapital FM, Mallam Rabiu expressed regret that such an innocent little girl can be murdered in cold blood by someone who is supposed to protect her, and worst still, after collecting ransom from the parents.

It was alleged that Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of Noble Kids Nursery and Primary School Kawaji, where Hanifa schooled had been arrested over her abduction and murder.
Many have wondered how a caretaker becomes your abductor.

Recall that Hanifa was kidnapped at Kawaji community in Yankaba area of Kano on her way back home from Islamiyya with some of her friends in December 2021.

She was lured to enter a commercial trycycle popularly known as Keke Napep which was used in taking her away.

The abductor later called her parents and demanded for a ransom which was given to him after which he fed little Hanifa with rat poison and buried her in a shallow grave because she recognised him.

Below is our conversation with Mr Rabiu Mukhtar who gives us a bird’s eye view of the details of this ill fated incident.

Sir, What actually happened to Hanifa?

Hanifa was a pupil attending her primary education at Nobel Kids nursery and primary school situated at Dakata, Kawaji area of Nassarawa Local Government. Some time in December last year 2021, she was lost after she attended her islamiyya school on her way coming back home. Since then, nobody saw her up to the day her school director, Abdulmalik Tanko called her parents to pay some ransom, which on that process the security personnel arrested and detained him as a suspect.

The abduction and killing of Hanifa is one too many in recent times. How can we curb this ugly trend especially in schools?

This is a collective responsibility between Government and the entire community to create an avenue for people to be security conscious within and outside the school environment, and adequate supervision of all activities happening in schools.

What measures are you putting in place to check recurrence of such an incident in your area of jurisdiction ?

To work hard and liaise with all relevant stakeholders to put security around the area.

As the ES of Nasarawa LGA where Hanifa was murdered what are you doing to ensure justice is served to her family?

The measures were already taken by the state government to ensure justice is served to her family.

There were reports that Noble Kids School was razed down by angry youths, Did this really hapen?

Yes, we went to the place for condolence visit to her family in which we saw the school was burnt the previous night as stated by the people around.

There is a likelihood the youths might still try to attack the suspect, what is the government doing to prevent them from taking the law into their hands ?

I don’t know

What advice do you have for schools, parents and guardians?

Parents and guardians should support government in taking action to prevent their children from falling victims of these evil acts.