Kwara court sentences Abdulrahman Bello to death for killing student Hafsoh Lawal in ritual attack.
The victim was lured via Facebook, and the brutal case left the community in shock.
A High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced one Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for the murder of Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a 24-year-old final-year student at the Kwara State College of Education.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice Hannah Ajayi, who ruled that Bello was guilty of the brutal killing, which occurred on February 13, 2025. The court noted that the murder was carried out under the guise of a romantic connection that began on Facebook.
Lawal was reportedly lured to Bello’s residence in the Offa Garage area of Ilorin after attending a friend’s naming ceremony. There, she met her tragic end.
Bello, who identified himself as an Islamic cleric, had earlier confessed that he murdered the young woman for ritual purposes. He said he needed human hands to perform a money ritual and claimed to have acted alone in the crime. His confession played a major role in the court’s decision.
Four other individuals Ahmed Abdulwasiu, 41; Suleiman Muyideen, 28; Jamiu Uthman, 29; and Abdulrahmon Jamiu, 31 who were initially charged alongside Bello, were discharged and acquitted due to lack of evidence linking them to the crime.
Throughout the four-month-long trial, Bello gave inconsistent statements. In one instance, he told the court that he strangled Lawal after several rounds of sex, later dismembering her body. In another version, he claimed she died from an asthma attack and that he mutilated her body out of panic.
After examining all testimonies and evidence presented, the court concluded that Bello’s actions were deliberate and premeditated. Justice Ajayi ultimately sentenced him to death by hanging, bringing some closure to a case that had deeply shocked the local community.
