Jamila Sani, wife of Abdulmalik Tanko, who allegedly kidnapped and killed five-year old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, on Thursday testified against him at Kano High Court 5, presided over by Justice Usman Na-abba.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that at the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the prosecution counsel, Musa Lawan, who is the Attorney-General and Kano state Commissioner of Justice, presented three witnesses who testified against Mr Tanko, after he denied killing late Hanifa.
Three witnesses were presented on first day (March 2) which includes two SSS personnel and a police officer, who was the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, of the case.
Presenting more witnesses as promised, the state attorney-general presented Mr Tanko’s wife as the fifth prosecution witness on the resumed hearing on Thursday.
During cross-examination, Mrs Sani identified Mr Tanko as her lawful husband and the second defendant, Isyaku Hashim, as his friend.
She said she knows Mr Hashim as her husband’s friend ever since.
Narrating the story before the court, Mrs Sani said Mr Tanko, on that fateful day, returned home with a girl and told her that the girl’s mother, who is a teacher in his school, had traveled to Abuja for documentation as she secured a job in Saudi Arabia.
“He brought the girl to my house. When I asked him, he told me that her mother is a teacher in his school and had gotten a job in Saudia Arabia, so she will be travelling to Abuja to sign some papers.
“She came to my house with school uniform and bag. I asked where was her clothes but he didn’t answer me. So, I received her and removed her uniform.
“The following morning till evening I asked him the whereabouts of the mother, he said she did not call but he called and she said the queue was much so she’s not coming back that day.
“She spent the next two days, and when I asked him again, he said she called him but her money had finished so she decided to stop over in Kaduna.
“From there I stopped asking him because he said she doesn’t have money to come back.
“The day he brought Hanifa, she was crying and he introduced her to his children, Safiya and Aisha. Hanifa was fair, beautiful girl, tall, around 5-6 years,” she said when asked about the looks of the late girl.
While cross-examining Mrs Sani, the defense counsel, M.L. Usman, asked the court to show her Hanifa’s picture if she could identify her as the girl in question.
Mr Tanko’s wife then identified Hanifa’s picture as the child brought to her house.
She further informed the court that, “he told me Hanifa’s mother name is Murja.”
“After 5 days, he said he’s going to take her back. It was at night, I then took her uniform back to her. They were all asleep. I told him to allow for the following morning, her Friends are also asleep but he insisted. It was 7-11pm. He took her out around 11pm.
“Before he came back I was asleep. When he came back and didn’t know the time.
She also identified the badge, Hijab and the uniform Hanifa was wearing when she was brought to her and when she was killed.
“We were married for over 6 years, but I never knew that Hanifa was missing until DSS came to us,” she added.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that a total number of eight prosecution witnesses were so far presented to the court.
The case had been adjourned till March 9 and 10 for further hearing, just as the judge order for the remand of the suspects.
