Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of Noble Kids School, who kidnapped and brutally killed his 5-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, has been arraigned before Magistrate’s Court 12, sitting at Gidan Murtala, Kano state.
The court is presided over by Magistrate Muhammad Jibril as the main suspect alongside his two accomplices, Hashimu Isyaku and Fatima Jibrin were arraigned.
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 not given chance to plead guilty or not guilty as the court has no jurisdiction to try the case.
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. He therefore adjourned the case to February 2.
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Addressing the press immediately after the proceeding, Lawan explained that the suspects were arraigned at the court despite having no jurisdiction.
He explained further that police had concluded their investigations and had no power to continue keeping them in their custody.
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Lawan stressed;
Of course the magistrate’s court doesn’t have jurisdiction to try this case. The police had conducted and finished their investigation within the shortest possible time and brought the case to us.
We can not within a day or two prepare the charges, and the police can not continue to keep them in their custody because the law doesn’t give them power to do that. They have to bring them to court and that is why they are here today. As you heard, the case is adjourned to 2nd day of February, and before then the charges would be ready. The magistrate has granted our application to remand them. Before then, I assure you, the charges would have been ready and we will charge them to the proper court.
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Lawan therefore assured that the state would prepare the charges against the suspects within seven days. He also assured speedy trial of the case.
