The proprietor of Noble Kids School in Kano, Abdulmalik Mohammed Tanko, has been arraigned for the abduction and murder of Hanifa Abubakar, a 5-year-old pupil in his school.
Tanko was arraigned along with two other suspects Hashimu Isyaku and Fatima Jibrin before Magistrate Muhammad Jibril of the Magistrate’s Court 12, at Gidan Murtala, Kano.
Charges preferred against the suspects are: criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, concealing/keeping in fonfinement a kidnapped person and culpable homicide, contrary to provisions of the Penal Code, DailyNigerian reported.
The Kano Sate Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Musa Lawan, who led 11 other lawyers on behalf of the state government, prayed the court to grant custody of the suspects to security agents because of the grievous nature of the offence.
He prayed to the court to read the charges to the suspects in Hausa for better understanding, a request the court granted.
However, the suspects were not given not given chance to enter their plea because the court has no jurisdiction to try the case.
Mr Lawan also prayed the court to remand the suspects in correctional centre to enable the state prepare charges against them and arraign them at a proper court for prosecution.
Magistrate Jibril then granted the prayers, ordering that the suspects be remanded at the Kurmawa Correctional Centre.
He adjourned the case to February 2.
Addressing the press immediately after the proceeding, Mr Lawan explained that the suspects were arraigned at the court despite having no jurisdiction.
He explained further that police had concluded their investigations and had no power to continue keeping them in their custody.
“Of course the magistrate’s court doesn’t have jurisdiction to try this case. The police had conducted and finished their investigation within the shortest possible time and brought the case to us.
“We can not within a day or two prepare the charges, and the police can not continue to keep them in their custody because the law doesn’t give them power to do that.
“They have to bring them to court and that is why they are here today. As you heard, the case is adjourned to 2nd day of February, and before then the charges would be ready.
“The magistrate has granted our application to remand them. Before then, I assure you, the charges would have been ready and we will charge them to the proper court,” the commissioner said.
The commissioner said the state would prepare the charges against the suspects within seven days. He also assured speedy trial of the case.
