Hanifa Abubakar: Lack Of Legal Representation For Accused Stalls Trial

Lack of a defence team on Monday stalled the trial of Abdulmalik Tanko and two others for the alleged kidnap and murder last month in Kano of a five-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar.

Mr Tanko, Hashimu Isyaku and Fatima Jibrin, appeared before Kano State High Court No. 6 for hearing in the case by the trial judge, Usman Na-Abba.

The three were charged with criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, concealing/keeping in confinement a kidnapped person and culpable homicide, offences the prosecution said are contrary to Sections 97, 274, 277 and 221 of the Penal Code.

On Monday, they were docked without legal representations.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, M. A. Lawal, who is the state counsel, prayed the court to decide if the proceeding could go ahead despite the accused persons not having lawyers.

The judge, Mr Na-abba, then asked the defendants, starting from the principal suspect, Mr Tanko, if they could engage the service of lawyers or want the state government to provide them some.

Mr Tanko, who is the first accused person, said he could not hire a lawyer and wants the state to provide him one.

Mr Isyaku, the second defendant, and the third defendant, Ms Jibrin, also said they want the state to provide them lawyers.

The attorney-general then prayed the court to adjourn the hearing to February 14 to enable the state to provide lawyers for the accused persons as they had requested.

The judge then granted the state counsel’s prayer and adjourned to Monday, February 14 for the continuation of the trial when the accused persons would have their lawyers.

Mr Lawal also told the court of their application to substitute the charges filed by the state against the accused persons on February 1 with the one filed on February 2, a prayer that was granted by the judge.