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Justice Hannah Olushola Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin sentenced Abdulrahman Bello, a self-proclaimed Islamic cleric, to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a 24-year-old final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education. The court found Bello guilty of killing Hafsoh for ritual purposes, citing overwhelming evidence, including forensic and circumstantial evidence.
The investigation revealed that Bello had initially confessed to killing Hafsoh and dismembering her body, leading the police to recover some of her body parts in his house and at a nearby dump site. A search of Bello’s apartment revealed human palms, a container filled with blood, phones, waist beads, a cutlass, a knife, black soap, and other items suggesting ritualistic practices.
Bello later claimed that Hafsoh died from an asthma attack during sex, and he panicked, cutting her body into parts. However, the court found his confessional statement and physical evidence more credible. Justice Ajayi described the killing as “cruel, wicked, and an extreme display of human wickedness,” emphasizing that the evidence clearly showed Bello killed Hafsoh with the intention of using her body for money rituals and trading in human parts.
The court also acquitted four other men charged alongside Bello – Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Jamiu Uthman, Suleiman Muhyideen, and Abdulrahman Jamiu – due to lack of evidence linking them to the crime. The prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove their involvement in the murder.
The sentence serves as a deterrent to others who may be involved in similar crimes. The case highlights the importance of thorough investigations and the need for the justice system to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions. The victim’s family can now find some closure, knowing that justice has been served.
