[6][7] Tanko is a Fulani, born on 31 December 1953 at Doguwa - Giade, a local government area in Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria.
[14][15][16][17] In exclusive reports by Peoples Gazette on 19 June 2022, Tanko was accused of diverting budgetary allocation of the Judiciary and denying Justices of the Supreme Court basic working tools and training.
Tanko was also accused of ferrying family members on International trips while neglecting Justices of the Supreme Court's annual retreat.
However, reports from news platforms in Nigeria debunk this stating that Tanko was forced out of service by the country's secret police over the allegations of corruption and misappropriation.
[21] In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.