The father of Hanifa, a five-year-old girl abducted and subsequently killed by her school proprietor, has recounted the family’s ordeal, beginning from when their daughter was kidnapped.
Malam Abubakar Abdussalam told the BBC Hausa service that Hanifa was their only child, adding that they were devastated by her abduction and the eventual discovery of her corpse.
Dateline Nigeria reports that Hanifa’s decomposed body was exhumed on Thursday after the prime suspect in her kidnap saga, Abdulmalik Mohammed Tanko, who happens to also be the proprietor of the school she attended, was arrested by the police.
“We were really traumatized and devastated by the abduction of Hanifa, which even led to the admission of her mother at a hospital. The mother is still on medication.
“I was also unable to eat or sleep since the abduction, always thinking of the fate of our daughter,” Abubakar Abdussalam said.
He said he was at the office of the Department of State Service (DSS) when he was called and informed that his daughter’s corpse had been found.
Malam Abubakar also said that his daughter was a very lively little girl who was always cheerful and many people will attest to that.
He recalled that the last time he spoke with his daughter was the same day she was abducted while returning from Islamiyya school.
“While leaving for the Islamiyya, her mother told her that she did not pray but Hanifa said she did. But she decided to repeat the prayer, uttering ‘Bismillahi Tawakkaltu Alallah’ loudly for the mother to know that she did.
“I said to Hanifa ‘yes, you have prayed’ and she went to bid her mother goodbye. She also told the mother who was to go to the market to buy her milk candy, saying that she wanted to give it out as sadaqa with her own hands,” he said.
Malam Abubakar also said that when he heard of the arrest of his daughter’s abductor, he thought the suspect would take them to where he was holding Hanifa, only for him to hear the contrary.
According to the police, Abdulmalik Mohammed Tanko, 30, had confessed that Hanifa was his student at a private school in Kwanar Dakata, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State.
“He kidnapped her and took her to his house where he contacted her relatives and demanded a ransom of N6 million.
“On the 18/12/2021, having realized that the victim recognized him, he claimed to have poisoned her to death, conspired with one Hashim Isyaku, took and buried her in a shallow grave located at the private school premises located at Kwanar ‘Yan Gana, Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State,” the police said in a statement.
Dateline Nigeria reports that the manner in which Hanifa was killed and buried after her abduction has continued to attract strong condemnation by Nigerians, especially on social media platforms.
