By Murtala Adewale, Kano

Hashimu Isyaku, the second suspect in the murder case of Hanifa Abubakar, the five-year-old girl that was kidnapped and subsequently killed in December 2021 in Kano, has revealed his involvement in the circumstances surrounding Hanifa’s death.
  
Isyaku was charged with the prime suspect,  Abdulmaliq Tanko and Fatima Musa on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, attempt to kidnap, abetment, kidnapping and concealing dead body.
 
In his defence before Justice Usman Na’aba of the state High Court yesterday,  37-year- old Isyaku confessed that he only consented to assist Tanko in the burial of unborn baby,  which he (Tanko) brought in a sack unknown to him it was Hanifa’s mutilated body.
 

Isyaku,  who narrated how Tanko lied to him that a woman in his neighbourhood had a miscarriage and he was engaged to assist them to burry the unborn child.

“Tanko has told me that a woman in their neighbourhood had miscarriage and he wanted him to help burry a foetus. He showed me where to dig the shallow grave and when I was digging, he came with something inside a sack and put it into the grave and I covered it,” Isyaku narrated.
 
Also testifying, the third defendant Fatima Musa, told the court that Tanko is her boyfriend and he (Tanko) told her that his sister’s husband wanted to marry another wife and demanded to kidnap the girl.
 
Fatima explained that she had accepted to do the job because he (Tanko) promised to marry her.
 
“Tanko promised to marry me if I picked the girl and that his sister would buy our wedding furniture for us. I know nothing about Hanifa’s death or kidnap,” she said.
 
After their testimonies, the defence counsel, M. L. Usman, told the court of his intention to close the defence.
  
Justice Usman Na’abba, however, adjourned the matter till June 14, for adoption of final written address.