The Court of Appeal in Kano has affirmed the death sentence for Abdulmalik Tanko, the school proprietor convicted of kidnapping and murdering 5-year-old Hanifa Abubakar.
In a ruling delivered on December 30, 2025, Justice A.R. Muhammad dismissed Tanko’s appeal, stating it lacked merit and that the evidence presented at the Kano State High Court had been properly evaluated. The judge directed relevant authorities to carry out the sentence once all legal avenues for appeal are exhausted.
Hanifa was abducted in December 2021 by Tanko, who owned the Noble Kids Academy she attended. After collecting a ransom from her family, he poisoned the child to death. The case sparked national outrage, heightened by the betrayal of trust—Tanko was both her school owner and teacher.
In July 2022, a high court sentenced Tanko and one accomplice to death, while another received a prison term. The Appeal Court’s latest decision reinforces the message that crimes against children, especially those involving profound betrayal, will be met with the full force of the law. Hanifa’s tragic story remains a painful reminder of the need to safeguard vulnerable children.
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