I killed abducted five-year-old girl because she recognised me, says arrested Kano teacher

Abdulmalik Tanko, a teacher who was arrested by the Kano Police Command for kidnapping a five-year-old girl in Kano State and consequently killed the girl after collecting part of the N6 million demanded as ransom, has given more details on why he killed the girl.

Tanko was the girl’s school teacher just as he disclosed that he killed her with rat poison because the girl was able to recognise him.

However, the girl’s uncle, Suraj Suleiman, confirmed the killing and recovery
of her remains at a private school in Tudunwada, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

While speaking on the incident on Friday in Kano, Tanko said he killed the girl with N100 rat poison.

According to him, he was the proprietor of the school and he killed the girl owing to his financial situation as he was indebted to the owner of the structure which housed the school.

“I have three children, it was desperation of how I would pay the money I owed that made me to commit the crime,” he said.

Speaking at the state police headquarters on Friday, Tanko said he demanded a ransom of N6 million but was paid N100,000, which, he claimed, was used to pay salaries of his teachers.

Meanwhile, the Kano State government has ordered the immediate closure of the private school where the body of the girl was buried by the suspect.

The state Commissioner for Education, Muhammad Kiru, announced the closure of the school in a statement after policemen discovered the corpse of the victim buried in the private school.

The commissioner, who expressed sadness over the incident, said apart from the closure of the school, the state government would commence investigation into unregistered private schools and teachers to check such criminal activities.

Kiru urged parents whose children attend the private school to stop them from doing so pending the completion of investigation.