Abdulmalik Tanko, proprietor of the school attended by five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar before her death, on Monday denied killing the schoolgirl.
Tanko made this claim when he was brought before High Court number 5, sitting at Audu Bako.
Justice Usman Na’abba presided over the case on Monday.
Tanko who had earlier admitted to conspiracy denied the remaining three charges against him.
The suspect who admitted to taking Hanifa to his school and locking her up said, “I am not sure if I am the last person who saw her alive because I have earlier communicated to someone else about it. I did neither kill nor poisoned her. I left her sleeping and came back to see her dead.
“Myself, the second and third defendants did not know how she died.”
Tanko who abducted Hanifa on December 4, 2021, had earlier confessed to kidnapping and killing the victim with N100 rat poison before burying her in a shallow grave in one of his schools.
Tanko alongside his accomplice, Hashim Isyaku and Fatima Bashir were arraigned before the Kano State High court on five count charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, confinement, and culpable homicide contrary to sections 97, 274, 277, and 221 of the penal code.
The case has been adjourned to May 10 for the continuation of the defence hearing.
