A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for the murder of 24-year-old Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, Justice Hannah Ajayi found Bello guilty after a four-month trial, describing his actions as premeditated and cruel. Lawal was reportedly in a relationship with Bello, whom she met on Facebook.
The court, however, acquitted and discharged four other men — Ahmed Abdulwasiu (41), Suleiman Muyideen (28), Jamiu Uthman (29), and Abdulrahmon Jamiu (31) — who had initially been arraigned alongside Bello.
Bello had earlier confessed to the crime, admitting that he killed Lawal for ritual purposes, specifically stating that he needed human hands to carry out the act.
According to testimonies, the incident occurred on February 13, 2025.
Lawal had gone to attend a friend’s naming ceremony when Bello invited her to his residence around the Offa garage area of Ilorin.
At another point, he claimed she died of an asthma attack and that he dismembered the body out of fear.
