A Kano High Court has fixed July 28 for judgment in the case of a school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko, charged with alleged murder of his five-year-old pupil.

The Kano State Government filed five counts of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing dead body against Mr Tanko, Hashimu Isyaku, 37, and Fatima Musa, 26, on February14.

The three defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Usman Na’abba fixed the date after the defence and prosecution counsel adopted their final written addresses.

Earlier, defence counsel Hasiya Muhammad adopted her final written addresses, dated and filed on May 31, by praying the court to discharge the defendants.

“We urge the court to adopt our written addresses as our oral argument in this case,” she said.

The prosecution counsel, Deputy Director Public Prosecution (DPP), Rabi Ahmad, in her final written addresses dated and filed June 6, prayed the court to convict and sentence the three defendants as charged.

Mrs Ahmad argued that the second defendant (Isyaku) is standing trial for concealing a dead body contrary to the provisions of Section 277 of the Penal Code and punishable with death under Section 274(b).

“We urge the court to note the content of exhibit 12 (confessional statement) of the second defendant for burying Hanifa’s corpse,” he said.

The defendants closed its case on May 10 with three witnesses. The defence witnesses were the three defendants.

The prosecution counsel on April 12, closed its case against the defendants with nine witnesses and tendered 14 exhibits to prove their case.

Mr Tanko, the proprietor of Nobel Kids Comprehensive College, Kano, was alleged to have kidnapped Hanifa on December 4, 2021, held her hostage in his house at Tudun Murtala for days before killing and buried her in a shallow grave on December 10, 2021.

The offence, the state said, contravened the provisions of sections 97, 95 and 273, 274(b) and 277 of the Penal Code, Laws of Kano State, 1991.

(NAN)