Hanifa: Lack of legal representation stalls trial of killer school proprietor 

Hanifa: Lack of legal representation stalls trial of killer school proprietor.

Lack of legal representation on Monday stalled the trial of a school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko,34, before a Kano High Court for alleged murder of five-year-old girl.

The police charged Tanko alongside Hashimu Isyaku,37 and Fatima Musa,26, were earlier arraigned on Jan.24, before a Chief Magistrates’ Court on four counts of culpable homicide, conspiracy, kidnapping and concealing/keeping in confinement a kidnapped person.

The defendants, however, prayed the Kano state Government to provide a legal representation on their behalf.

When the case came up for re-arraignment on Monday, the Prosecution Counsel Kano State Attorney-General, Mr Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, told the court that the defendants had no counsel and asked for an adjournment to enable them do so.

“The state will ensure that the defendants have legal representation so that case will go on,” he said.

Justice Usman Na’abba, ordered the remand of the defendants in a Correctional centre and adjourned the matter until Feb.14, for further mention.

The National Daily reports that on Dec. 4, 2021, Tanko, being the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, conspired with the two others to kidnap the minor.

The police alleged that Tanko held the minor hostage in his house situated in Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano, for six days and killed her using rat poison.

The police also alleged that he put her corpse in a sack and buried her in a shallow grave on Dec.10,2021.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 97, 274, 277 and 221 of the Penal Code.