#JusticeForHanifa: Nigerians Demand Death Penalty For Teacher Who ‘Kidnapped, Killed’ Pupil

Nigerians have called for justice and gross punishment of the alleged killer of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil who was reportedly abducted by her teacher, Abdulmalik Tanko, and eventually killed after 47 days in captivity in Kano State.

The child was returning home from school earlier in December when she was waylaid by her teacher and other suspects who promised to take her home in a tricycle but fled with her, the pupil’s uncle, Suraj Zubair, told Humangle.

Eventually, Hanifa was allegedly poisoned to death and her body cut into pieces and put in a polythene bag.

According to the Kano State Police command, the suspects had demanded N6 million ransom for her release.

Following an investigation by the police command, the girl’s decomposed body was discovered and the prime suspect’s arrest made public on Thursday.

Nigerians who reacted on social media called for death penalty for the suspect as contained in Kano Anti-Kidnapping Law.

As of Friday morning, #JusticeForHanifa was trending at number two spot on Twitter with over 14,000 reactions on the microblogging app. Below are some of their reactions:

@Yazeed_Zeezah said, “May Allah (SWT) grant the family of this beautiful girl the fortitude to bear the loss. The culprit should be dealt with severely or even executed, what is this world turning into? This is just not right, my heart is so broken. #JusticeForHanifa #JusticeForHanifa”.

@Iam_bayyah said, “Wondering how he poisoned her, how he watched her struggling to die and how he cut her into pieces. Is he really human?”.

@HilarySeiyefa said, “Hearing how this beautiful child was killed in a gruesome manner brought chills down my spine. Some Humans are really heartless and shouldn’t be considered as living things. Such evil & demonic act the perpetrators should be killed #JusticeForHanifa”.

@the_scholar1 said, “Noble Kids school should be demolished to the ground, the school authorities should bear part of the consequences”.

@cbngov_akin1 said, “SAD NEWS Kano Anti-Kidnapping Law should be apply here. This animal should face CAPITA PUNISHMENT for killing this little Girl, HANIFA, death penalty should be the gain for all the barbarians that kidnapped & killed this little angel We should ALL voice out”.

@MFaarees_ said, “Whoever says these terrorist bandits and kidnappers do not deserve death penalty is a f**king hypocrite. Every killer of an innocent soul deserves to be k!lled. That’s the only punishment they deserve”.

The police had however said that the case will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.