Kano State Government has filed five counts against Abdulmaliq Tanko and two others for their alleged murder of five years old Hanifa Abubakar in their Dakata quarters, Nassarawa local government area of the state.
Tanko, along Hashimu Isiyaku and Fatima Musa are already standing on criminal trial before Senior Magistrate Muhammad Jibrin bordering on culpable homicide, kidnapping, concealing, and confinement of a kidnapped in person.
The suspects were accused of kidnapping and subsequent murder of Hanifa with N100 rat poison powder and buried in a shallow grave after collecting the sum of N100,000 part payment of N6 million ransom demanded from the parents of the victim.
Magistrate Jibrin had remanded the three accused in Kano Correctional Center for further mention.
When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, prosecution counsel, Aisha Mahmud told the court that the government has decided to transfer the criminal charges before a state high court.
Aisha, who is also the Director Public Prosecution, Kano state ministry of Justice, explained that the government decision premised on the fact that the lower court lacks jurisdiction to hear the charges brought against the suspects.
He, therefore, appealed that the suspects should remain in the correctional center for seven days pending when the prosecution will file termination notice of the case at the lower court.
According to the prosecution, the prime suspect Tanko will face the charge of culpable homicide while the other two suspects are being trialed for kidnapping, conspiracy, aiding, and abating.
“Considering the nature of the offenses committed by the suspects and considering the fact that the lower court has no jurisdiction to hear the case, we have filed the charges before high court,” Aisha said.
“Based on this argument, we appeal for further remand of the suspects for one week pending when the case record is properly filed and when we shall return to terminate the matter.”
Senior Magistrate Jubrin however, granted the plea of the prosecution while adjourning the matter to 9th February 2022 for further mention.
Although there was no legal representation for the three suspects at the court, the state director of Public Prosecution told journalists that such matter is left for the higher court to determine.
