Kano State Government has filed five counts against Abdulmaliq Tanko and two others for the alleged murder of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar.
Tanko, along with Hashimu Isiyaku and Fatima Musa, are already standing on trial before Senior Magistrate Muhammad Jibrin bordering on culpable homicide, kidnapping, concealing, and confinement of a kidnapped person.
The suspects were accused of the kidnap and subsequent murder of Hanifa with rat poison powder and, thereafter, burying her in a shallow grave after collecting the sum of ₦100,000 being part payment of the ₦6 million ransom they had demanded from the parents of the victim.
Magistrate Jibrin had remanded the three accused in the Kano Correctional Centre for further mention.
When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, prosecution counsel, Aisha Mahmud, told the court that the government had decided to move the criminal charges before a state high court.
Ms Mahmud, who is also the Director Public Prosecution, Kano State Ministry of Justice, explained that the government’s decision premised on the fact that the lower court lacks jurisdiction to hear the charges brought against the suspects.
She, therefore, appealed that the suspects should remain in the correctional centre 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 tried 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 the high court,” Mahmud 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.”
The magistrate granted the plea of the prosecution while adjourning the matter to 9 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 high court to determine.
Source: Guardian.ng
