Metro News

Hanifa: My daughter’s Killer said it was money that made him do it- Mother of 5-yr-old murdered by teacher

Published

2 years ago

March 31, 2022

admin

The mindless murder of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar by her teacher and school proprietor shook the nation, with no less a person than the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, joining her voice to condemn the dastardly act.

Now, her mother, Murja Suleiman Zubairu, has narrated her encounter with the self confessed killer of her child.

Recall that Hanifa was murdered after she was abducted while on her was from an Islamic school.

The prime suspect and proprietor of Noble Kids Academy, the school the deceased attended, Abdulmalik Tanko, would later confess killing her with N100 rat poison.

While testifying as the seventh prosecution witness on Wednesday, the 38-year-old Murja narrated how she took Hanifa to her Islamiyya school on December 4, 2021.

She said around 5:30pm when the school closed, a daughter of one of their neighbours ran to their house to tell them that one man had taken Hanifa away in a tricycle.

She quoted the girls as saying Hanifa told them the man was her uncle (male teacher) when they tried to stop her from entering the tricycle.

“Among those we were searching for Hanifa with, there was one of her teachers and I asked her if there was any other uncle in the school apart from Abdulmalik because all the other teachers I know in the school are females.

READ A mother's pain: She was pregnant with twins, mother of Bolanle Raheem speaks

“She told me there was a new male teacher in the school and when they called him, he said he does not even know any Hanifa because he was assigned to teach in the secondary session of the school.

“The female teacher also called Abdulmalik Tanko that night in my presence and put the phone on loudspeaker and told him that Hanifa mentioned that it was her uncle that took her into the tricycle before the tricycle zoomed off with her. At that time, Abdulmalik said, ‘Subhanallahi’.

“On Monday in the morning, Abdulmalik came to my house and immediately he entered, I started crying and immediately our eyes met, he started shedding tears and I had to even console him.

“When he was leaving, he prayed that may God allow us to see her. So at that time, our suspicion left Abdulmalik because of how he acted,” the dejected mother narrated.

She further narrated that she received text messages asking them for N6million ransom for the girl and the sender sent them evidence that Hanifa was in his custody.

“I opened my door around 8:30am and saw a polythene bag which contained the cardigan Hanifa wore the day she was kidnapped and her uniform badge and a black and white photograph of Hanifa and told Hanifa’s father on the need to take the person sending the text seriously. He then informed the police.

READ Igboho wept like a child when I spoke with him on phone –Lawyer

She said a text came in immediately she turned on her phone, stating: “We have brought evidence of your daughter being with us but your phone is switched off, if you lose the evidence, that’s on you.”

When the abductor later called and asked if they were satisfied with the evidence, Murja said she told him she didn’t see anything.

“Immediately after the call, I told my husband that I feel that Hanifa is dead. I told him that since I was born, I have never perceived the kind of stench from the cardigan but they told me it was an odour from a mosquito repellant.

“They then took the evidence to the DSS and police. My husband then told me that I should text the person and ask for voice evidence or make a live video of Hanifa. When I sent the text, he replied that he knew this was a police strategy as such he won’t do either.

“He later sent a text saying he will tell us where to find Hanifa’s hijab as the last evidence he will give us. He then directed us to Kwankwasiyya village that we should count 21 street lights and we will see a black nylon inside an uncompleted building which contained Hanifa’s hijab. The stench from the hijab was the same as the earlier evidence,” she narrated.

READ Kidnapped 80-year-old mother of Bayelsa SSG regains freedom after payment of N4m ransom

She also narrated how the proprietor asked them to take the ransom to the same location they saw Hanifa’s hijab and how he was later arrested while trying to pick the second tranche of the ransom money.

She said when she saw Tanko at the police station, she asked him what Hanifa did to him and what she did to him, and that Tanko begged for forgiveness saying “it was a money problem and he knew he will get the money from us.

“He later told me he was the one that brought the evidence to the door of our house.”

The emotional mother recalled that it was Hanifa that brought the school flier to them and asked to be enrolled in the school and that she initially refused her late daughter’s request, adding that from the first day they took the slain youngster to the school, she (Hanifa) had warmed up to her would-be-killer.

Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned to April 12 for cross-examination of the witness.

Metro News

14-year-old Nigerian, Daniel Anjorin killed in London sword attack

Published

12 hours ago

May 1, 2024

admin

The teenage boy killed in the Hainault sword attack in north-east London has been identified as 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin.

Police said Anjorin died from stab wounds shortly after being taken to hospital on Tuesday.

He was the only casualty in the attack that left four other people, including two police officers, injured.

The suspect, 36, was cornered and overpowered with a Taser by officers in Thurlow Gardens.

Police were called to reports of a car crashing into a house and people being stabbed in Hainault, north-east London.

James Fernando, a witness, told the BBC that he saw the suspect asked one of his neighbours to take his phone and “tell whoever was on the phone his location”.

Fernando said the neighbour soon noticed the sword and started running.

“As she fled, the woman shouted to another neighbour, a boy on his way to school, who was then struck by the attacker as he turned around,” he said.

READ Many feared killed in Benue tanker explosion

Anjorin attended Bancroft’s, the same school where Grace O’Malley-Kumar, a stabbing victim in Nottingham, was also a student.

Holy Family Catholic School where the boy’s mother works, issued a statement naming her Mrs Anjorin and called for prayers for the family.Police said the suspect is in hospital being treated for injuries sustained when the vehicle he was in crashed into the house.The police said the suspect would be taken in for questioning immediately after he has some respite, adding that Anjorin’s family are being supported by specially trained staff.

Metro News

Gas explosion rocks Lagos community

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2024

admin

One yet-to-be-identified pregnant woman and eight others have sustained varying degrees of injuries following a gas explosion that occurred at Alaba Lane, Alayabiagba Community, in the Ajegunle-Apapa area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that the incident occurred on Tuesday at about 12:39 p.m.

Confirming the incident, the Head, Public Education, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Amodu Shakiru, stated that preliminary inquiry revealed that a number of different gas cylinders that were traded in the area had one that was set off by a possible leak that broke a high-tension cable and started a fire.

He added that the fire destroyed four commercial tricycles, six lock-up stores, and a portion of a bungalow building.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that a number of various gas cylinders traded within the neighborhood have one triggered by a suspectable leakage leading to the snapping of a high-tension cable and resultant fire.

“Four commercial tricycles, six lock-up shops, and a bungalow part of the properties were razed down while salvaging adjoining structures, including a major fuel service station.

READ Many feared killed in Benue tanker explosion

He stated that the Federal Fire Service, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the fire stations in Ajegunle and Sari-Iganmu quickly contained the incident.

Shakiru noted that the pregnant woman and the other victims are currently receiving treatment at the Gbagada Burn & Trauma Center and Ajeromi General Hospital following initial care provided by the Lagos State Ambulance Service.

“However, nine people reportedly suffered different degrees of burn injury, including a pregnant woman, children, and adults, male and female, who are recuperating at the Ajeromi General Hospital and Gbagada Burnt & Trauma Centre after some first aid by the Lagos State Ambulance Service.

“The incident was curtailed in record time through the combined efforts of the Ajegunle and Sari-Iganmu Fire Stations of the LSFRS with the compliment of the Federal Fire Service.”

Emefiele collected $600k kickback in cash from contractors, former CBN director tells court

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2024

admin

John Ikechukwu Ayoh, a former director at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has testified against Godwin Emefiele, ex-governor of the apex bank, in the ongoing case of abuse of office at the Lagos high court.

Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are currently facing trial on a 26-count charge.

The former CBN governor and Omoile pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

At the court proceedings on Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented Ayoh as the second witness in the case against Emefiele.

Ayoh told the court that he worked at the apex bank from June 2014 to April 2019 noting that he did not work directly under Emefiele.

Ayoh added that he used to report to Adebayo Adelabu, a former deputy governor of CBN, who is now the minister of power.

The witness said he was the head of procurement and support services (PSS) of the apex bank, which was vested with powers to receive bids and select successful bidders.

READ Major News Headlines In The Papers Today: Afenifere standing for Nigeria's future- Obi

The former CBN director said he collected money from contractors as gratification of awarding contracts to them based on the instruction from Emefiele.

The witness said Emefiele usually sends his personal assistant (PA) — John Adetona — to collect the contractors’ kickback from him.

Ayoh said he collected $400,000 and $200,000 in cash from contractors on two different occasions and handed them over to Emefiele’s PA.

“The first transaction was $400,000 and the second one was $200,000 in cash. I was in my house when the first envelope was brought to me. His assistant was asked to collect the money,” he told the court.

“One of the vendors had a contract with CBN which involved the implementation of data storage and infrastructure.

“The first package was collected in my residence at Lekki phase one, while the second package was collected at the head office in Lagos.”

READ Court jails mother, son 8 years for burglary, theft in Osun

During cross-examination by Olalekan Ojo, counsel to Emefiele, Ayoh said he was under duress from the former CBN to accept gratifications on his behalf.

“No, I was under duress from my boss (referring to Emefiele). We were faced with tremendous pressure to bend the rule,” the witness said when asked about aiding the commission of a crime by collecting the money.

Asked if he indicated in his statement with the EFCC that the money was meant to influence the award of contracts, the witness said some parts of his statement implied that.

“Who told you that it (the money) is for gratification,” Emefiele’s counsel asked.

“The cash is for gratification to the governor for awarding the contracts. He (Emefiele) asked for it. He won’t approve the contract without gratification,” the witness said.

On whether he was arrested by the EFCC, the witness said the anti-graft agency invited him and was granted bail afterwards.

READ Mohbad was alive when his father buried him, late singer’s mother alleges

Emefiele’s counsel told the court that the witness must have traded being charged by the EFCC to become a witness against the former CBN boss.

INTERIM BAIL

After the cross-examination of the witness, Emefiele’s counsel sought a fresh interim bail for the former CBN governor, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions earlier stipulated by the court.

Ojo told the court that the initial interim bail granted to Emefiele ended today (Monday), adding that the defence team has not been able to meet the bail conditions.

He urged the court to grant Emefiele another interim bail that would end on May 17.

Rahman Oshodi, the presiding judge, granted the request and ordered that Ojo swear to an affidavit to provide Emefiele in the next adjourned date.

Oshodi adjourned to May 3, 9, and 17 for the continuation of the trial.