Nigerians calling for immediate justice for the three suspected killers of the 5-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar may have to wait longer as their arraignment before a Kano State High Court was stalled on Monday due to lack of legal representation for each of the defendants.
The trio of Abdulmalik Tanko (school proprietor), Hashimu Isiyaku and Fatima Bashir is standing trial for allegedly kidnapping, torturing and killing Hanifa Abubakar.
When they were first arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court on charges of kidnapping, culpable homicide, conspiracy, concealment of a child and abduction, it was argued that the court lacked jurisdiction.
The case was reassigned and when it came up on Monday before Justice Usman Na’abba of Kano State High Court for arraignment, the three defendants were not legally represented.
They accordingly prayed the court to order the Kano State Government to provide them legal representation.
In his response, the prosecution counsel, led by Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Musa Abdullahi Lawan, sought an adjournment to enable the state to provide legal representation for the defendants.
The prosecutor said, “My Lord! We are constrained to go on with the case today, the defendants asking the state to provide legal services for them. Perhaps that is the position of the law.”
Ruling on the matter, Justice Na’abba ordered the Kano State government to provide legal representation for the defendants and adjourned the case to February 14, 2022.
