Aisha Buhari, the First Lady of Nigeria, has joined a chorus of Nigerians demanding the death penalty for the killer of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old Kano child abducted and murdered by her teacher.
Mrs. Buhari tweeted a clip of an Islamic scholar, Abdallah Gadon Kaya, preaching about the late Hanifa and demanding justice.
In the video, Mr. Gadon Kaya urged the government and human rights organizations to take up Hanifa’s cause and guarantee that justice is given as soon as possible.
He claims Hanifa’s suspected killer’s life is not any better. “As a result, he should be killed in the same manner that he murdered the little girl.” And it should be done in a public place where everyone can see it. In Hausa, the cleric stated, “Let that serve as a deterrent to others.”
Mrs. Buhari also added a short note on her verified Instagram page alongside the video.
“Muna Goyon Bayan Hukunchin Malam,” the president’s wife wrote in Hausa, meaning “we endorse your judgment/we fully back your viewpoint.”
Abdulmalik Tanko, the school’s owner, kidnapped Hanifa, his student at Kids Academy, a private school in Kwanar Dakata, Nassarawa local government area of Kano, on December 2, 2021.
The state government has ordered the institution to close right after Mr. Tanko was arrested.
Nigeria is dealing with a slew of criminal situations, with kidnapping for ransom being the most common, perpetrated primarily by armed bandits who occasionally target schools for mass abductions of pupils.
In Nigeria, the death sentence, as urged by Mrs. Buhari and the Islamic cleric, remains authorized for a variety of offenses, including murder.
Many human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have urged for its removal.