A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced Abdulrahman Bello, a self-styled Islamic cleric, to death by hanging for the brutal murder of 24-year-old Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education.
In her judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Hannah Olushola Ajayi described the crime as “the highest degree of human wickedness”, noting that Bello acted with full intent and clear disregard for human life.
The incident, which shocked residents of Ilorin and drew nationwide outrage, began in early February 2025 when Lawal was reported missing.
She had been lured to the suspect’s home after the two connected via Facebook.
Investigations revealed that Bello raped, murdered, and then dismembered her body—storing her remains in a container filled with alcohol and hiding body parts in various parts of his apartment in the Oke Foma area of Ilorin.
The police recovered disturbing evidence including a cutlass, knife, beads, a bottle of suspected preservation liquid, and female body parts.
The forensic team also retrieved the victim’s mobile phone and SIM card from the convict’s possession.
Bello was charged alongside four others—Ahmed Abdulwasiu (41), Suleiman Muyideen (28), Jamiu Uthman (29), and Abdulrahmon Jamiu (31)—who were accused of conspiring in the killing.
However, the court found no sufficient evidence linking them to the crime and discharged and acquitted all four.
During the trial, Bello initially confessed to the killing, claiming it was unintentional.
But he later recanted, stating that the victim died during sex from an asthma attack and that his confession had been extracted under duress.
Justice Ajayi dismissed his claims, citing his earlier voluntary statement and overwhelming physical evidence, including witness testimonies and forensic findings.
Reporting by Sola Rotimi