Aisha Buhari calls for capital punishment for Hanifa Abubakar’s killer

Aisha Buhari

First lady Aisha Buhari has called for capital punishment for the killer of Hanifa Abubakar, the five-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in Kano.

Hanifa was kidnapped in November 2021 in Kwanar Dakata in Nassarawa Local Government Area while returning from an Islamic school. She was found dead and buried at Northwest Preparatory School last week.

The police have arrested three persons in connection to the incident including the proprietor of the school, Abdulmalik Tanko.

In a post to Instagram on Sunday, Mrs Buhari shared a short clip of a sermon by an Islamic scholar, Abdallah Kaya, demanding justice for the schoolgirl.

In the video, Kaya called on the government and human rights groups to pick up the case of Hanifa and ensure that justice is served immediately.

He said in Hausa that the life of Hanifa’s alleged killer is not in any way better. “Therefore, he should be killed just the way he murdered the little girl. And this should be done openly for everyone to see. Let it serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

Mrs Buhari wrote as caption to the post in Hausa “Muna Goyon Bayan Hukunchin Malam” which means “we are in support of your judgment/ we are fully behind your position.”

Kano State Government has since shut the school.

The police had yet to file charges against Tanko and his alleged accomplices.