By Correspondent in Lokoja.
Late Hanifa Abubakar.
Source: BBC
Residents of Lokoja, capital of Kogi State on Friday,added voice to the clarion call on security agencies in the country to ensure that Hanifa Abubakar(5), allegedly murdered by the properietor of her school, Abdulmalik Muhammad Tanko (38) in kano on Thursday and others connected with the case did not go unpunished.
This is the verdict of those who spoke with our Correspondent in separate interview in Lokoja.
They expressed dismay, shock, sadness and outrage at the gruesome murder of Baby Hanifa, adding that the ugly developmnt showed the high level of man inhumanity to man and brazen moral decadence in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world.
Mrs Beatrice Onoja, a civil servant and mother of four said,” I am deeply touched, as a mother, to learn of the gruesome murder of Baby Hanifa. Her death in the hand of somebody who is supposed to take care her custody and ensure her safety is to say the least, outrageous and unspeakable.
“While I pray that may Almighty God grant her soul etenal rest, authorities of our security agencies in the country must make sure that the deceased gets justice, by fishing out perpectrator (s) of this henious crime and give appropriate punishment. This is the highest honour the country can accord her even in death,”she said.
Contributing, Mal. Sani Bello, a father of two described the action of Hanifa’s suspected murderer as simply terrible and unthinkable.
“For somebody, who himself has children to have cut short the life of another child, most painful such a tender age as 5 years in the case of Baby Hanifa, is most ungodly and the perpectrator(s) of this henious crime must face music for their action.
Miss Fatimah Alli, an NYSC member serving in Lokoja, who was full of tears during interview said,”I don’t know where to even start commenting on this terrible development.Though I am yet to have my own baby, I am so empathic with Hanifa’s mothern whom I Know must be passing through now serious psychological trauma now.
“Baby Hanifa,besides her charming-looking physique, as exemplified by her adoring picture,was said to be a star in her class.
“What this means is that, the world has been denied the existence and impact of this fledgling and brain and beauty who would accomplish success in whatever career in life but her dream has been reduced to a mirage by the wicked in the society.
“No doubt, her contribution to the social, economic and perhaps, political development would have been a great asset to Nigeria.
“Fishing out her alleged killer and making sure he and his cohorts face prosecution and get justice is all I care for now, to serve as deterrent to others who think that they can take the life a fellow human being at will and go scot-free.”
A retired teacher,Mal. Onotu Aliyu, noted that the murder of Hanifa remained a pointer to parents that, they needed to be mindful of the security of their children as well as scrutinise very well, the kind of school such children attend, to avert such tragedy in future.
“Inspectors of schools, public and private, need to go beyond ensuring that the physical environment of school premises are conducive for pupils or students to learn meaningfully.
“Time has come in Nigeria when we need to also examine the conduct of school properietors and even teachers, to know the level of their psychological and mental fitness to manage and teach other people’s children,” he stressed.
Sources said that Baby Hanifa, the only child of her parents, was allegedly abducted and her captors demanded N6 million ransom but eventually killed her and buried her remains in shallow grave which was discovered about two months later after fruitless search for her where about.
Our Correspondent further gathered that the school properietor and his cohorts, all of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, were arrested by security operatives while trying to collect the ransom.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
