Abdulmalik Tanko’s d£•th sentence for the abduction and m•√der of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar has been upheld by the Court of Appeal in Kano. 

On Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Justice A.R. Muhammad delivered the ruling, dismissing Tanko’s appeal and upholding the Kano State High Court’s ruling. He concluded that the trial court acted lawfully and appropriately in evaluating the evidence that was presented to it.

The judge stated that the appellate court found the appellant’s arguments to be without merit and that the respondents’ evidence was strong and convincing. 

As a result, he concluded that there was no justification for overturning the lower court’s decision. Additionally, Justice Muhammad urged the government to make sure that the verdict is upheld after the convict has used every avenue of appeal. 

Abdulmalik Tanko, the owner of Noble Kids Academy in Kano State’s Nassarawa Local Government Area, k!.dna.pped Hanifa in December 2021..

Tanko had demanded a ransom of N6m from her family before injecting her with rat poison, leading to her d£•th.

The incident drew outrage and widespread condemnation across the country due to the victim’s age and the betrayal of trust involved, as Tanko was the owner of the school she attended. 

Tanko was arraigned on January 24, 2022, alongside Isyaku Hashim and Fatima Jibril on charges bordering on cr!min@l conspiracy, k!_dnapping, unlawful confinement and culpable homicide. 

On July 28, 2022, the Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Usman Na’abba, sentenced the convict and Hashim to d3•th by hanging, while Fatima Jibril was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.