Court sentences Hafsoh’s killer to death by hanging

News Update

An Ilorin-based Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Bello, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the gruesome murder and dismemberment of 24-year-old Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Hannah Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court also sentenced Bello to 10 years’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦100,000 fine or six months in prison for unlawful possession of human parts and blood.

However, the court acquitted and discharged four co-defendants Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman, and Abdulrahman Jamiu of all charges.

Describing the offence as the “highest degree of human wickedness,” Justice Ajayi dismissed Bello’s claim that he loved the victim and had intended to marry her, calling it a ploy to mislead the court. She held that his actions before and after the crime indicated a deliberate plan and suggested he may have committed similar offences in the past.

The judge ruled that video and written confessions obtained by the DSS and police were admissible and lawful. She further noted that a book on money-making rituals found in Bello’s possession corroborated the ritual killing motive.

In a warning to the public, especially young people, Justice Ajayi emphasized the dangers of social media, noting that Hafsoh might still be alive had she informed family or friends of her plans to visit someone she met on Facebook.

The murder occurred on February 10, 2025, at the Olunlade area of Ilorin. The case, which shocked many within and outside the state, involved charges of conspiracy, murder, dismemberment, and illegal possession of human body parts. Bello was found guilty of all except rape.