The Governor of Kano State, Ganduje has reacted to the 5-year-old girl who was wickedly murdered by her school teacher/proprietor, Mr. Tanko in Kano State.
Mr. Tanko upon interrogation narrated how he used N100 rat poison to kill Hanifa.
He said:
“I picked her inside Keke NAPEP and I carried her to my own house where I lied to my wife that the girl was a daughter to one of the women working in my school and that the mother traveled and pleaded for us to keep the girl for some days. My wife accepted and kept the girl for that reason.
“I realized that the girl’s parents were informed that when picking her up, she made mention of ‘uncle’. This gave me the impression that they might be suspecting me as the uncle.
“Then after some time, after some days, some of my teachers visited my house very early in the morning and when they came, I was also suspecting that they were sent over to the house to find out whether the girl was there with me.
“So, I decided that it was better I found a way before I would be caught. I first thought of sending this girl to another state but again, I thought the whole town was aware that she was missing. If the girl was going to be sent out through the main roads, we would be caught. So, that was when I conceived the idea of killing her.
“I picked her up at home; she was already sleeping, it was getting to 11pm. I picked her up… I used to always drink tea… I was drinking tea at that time, so I put the remaining tea in an empty container of BoBo yogurt, and then I poured in this rat killer poison inside and gave it to the girl, not in my own house.
“When we went to the other school, when we were passing, I told her that I was taking her back to her uncle’s house. So, as we were going, I gave her the drink on the road and she drank it and then we entered one branch of the school; the branches are two. We entered the other branch with her and I told her I was going to pick something inside. She entered and that was where she finally died.
“I bought the poison N100. I buried her in the school. Let me clear this doubt. People are thinking that it has to do with ritual, this is not rituals. I buried her inside the school simply because I was not able to find any secure place to dig a hole.”
However, Governor Ganduje yesterday assured that government would continue to meticulously monitor and ensure the prosecution of anyone found culpable in the kidnap and murder of Hanifa.
This was contained in a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba.
The governor said already, measures taken in the matter include the indefinite closure and withdrawal of the operating license of the school where the child was allegedly murdered.
He said the Kano State Government was terribly disturbed that the people entrusted with the care of the child turned out to be her murderers.
He added that the government had been in touch with the family of the child and would remain so until justice prevailed in the case to serve as a deterrent to others.
The governor, who commended security agencies in the state for the prompt action that led to the arrest of those allegedly involved, stated that “while the investigation is ongoing, the government will meticulously follow the case to its logical conclusion.”
He also commended the international community, human rights-based organizations, and well-meaning Nigerians for their concern in the matter.
The Kano State Commissioner for Education, Muhammad Kiru, who announced the closure of the school, also said the state government would commence an investigation of unregistered private schools and teachers to check such criminal activities.
ALSO READ:
