The Kano State Government has filed a five-count charges against Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of Noble Kids School, who kidnapped and brutally killed his 5-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, alongside his two accomplices, Hashimu Isyaku and Fatima Jibrin before a High Court 5 in the state.
The state director of Public Prosecution, Aisha Mahmoud, disclosed this when the three suspects were re-arraigned before Magistrate Court 12, sitting at Gidan Murtala on Wednesday.
She said the suspects were brought before Magistrate Muhammad Jibril, despite the fact that the court lacks the jurisdiction to try such a high profile case, but to inform it that the state government had filed charges against them at the High Court.
Mrs Mahmoud added that the charges had been filed at the High Court 5, before Justice Usman Na-Abba, under the directive of the state chief judge.
The director explained that the state prosecutors would go to the High Court, where the case would be tried properly, to pick a date for the arraignment of the suspects.
She had earlier prayed to the magistrate’s court to remand the suspects until their appearance before the High Court.
The judge then granted their prayer and adjourned to February 9.
DAILY NIGERIAN recalls that Mr Tanko, the principal suspect, was arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court 12 alongside his accomplices on January 24.
They were charged with Criminal Conspiracy, Kidnapping, Concealing/Keeping in Confinement a Kidnapped Person and Culpable Homicide, contrary to Sections 97, 274, 277 and 221 of the Penal Code.
The state attorney-general and commissioner of Justice, Musa Lawan, who led eleven other lawyers on behalf of the state government, prayed to the court to read the charges to the suspects in Hausa language for better understanding, a request the court granted.
However, they were not given chance to take plea as the court had 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.
