Hanifa’s Murder: Assault On Teaching Profession – Minister Says

…Abubakar not a registered teacher – TRC says

BY YEMI OHAKWE, ABUJA –

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has described the kidnap and subsequent murder of five-year old Hanifa Abubakar by her teacher and proprietor of her school is an assault on the entire teaching profession.

This was as the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria has revealed that the teacher – Abubakar that abducted and later killed little Hanifa was not registered to teach.

The Minister in a statement said that such a barbaric act must not be allowed to happen again, querying that if a child is not safe in the hands of his or her teacher, where else can the child be safe?

Adamu while applauding the steps so far taken by the Kano State Government in addressing the unfortunate incident, said the government is watching the development closely to ensure that true justice is delivered.

The Education Minister noted that the despicable act took place despite government’s effort to ensure safety of all Nigerian Children whether in school or at home

Similarly, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria in a statement by its Registrar, Professor Ajiboye Olusegun said it has carried out its own investigation and discovered that the said killer-teacher was not registered and never made an attempt to.

Prof Ajiboye commended the prompt reaction of the Kano State Government to close down the school, but calls for a compulsory registration exercise of all teachers and schools in Kano, rather than the pronouncement of revocation of licences of all private schools in the state.