COURT DECIDES FATE OF KWARA ISLAMIC CLERIC WHO KILLED AND MUTILATED THE BODY OF HIS LOVER TODAY

Justice Halimat Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court is set to deliver judgement on Thursday in the high-profile murder case involving an Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Bello, accused of killing and dismembering his lover, Hafsoh Lawal, also known as Yetunde, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.

The case, which has gripped the state since it first came to light in 2024, has created outrage and calls for justice, especially from student groups and community leaders.

Bello is standing trial alongside four others: Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhyideen, Jamiu Uthman, and Abdulrahman Jamiu. The charges against them include criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, unlawful possession of human parts, armed robbery, and dealing in human parts.

According to police investigations, Hafsoh was invited to Bello’s residence in the Olunlade area of Ilorin, where she was allegedly raped, killed, and her body mutilated. A search of Bello’s apartment turned up deeply disturbing items including severed human palms, a blood-filled container, black soap, waist beads, a cutlass, a knife, and various charms pointing to possible ritual elements.

In his initial confession to the police and a magistrate court, Bello admitted that Hafsoh died in his apartment and claimed he panicked, cut up her body, and dumped the parts in a dustbin. But during the trial at the High Court, he retracted that confession, claiming it was extracted under torture.

While testifying in court on June 12, Bello alleged that Hafsoh died from an asthma attack during sex. “She started gasping for breath. I rushed out to get her inhaler. When I returned, she was dead. I left to drink alcohol, and when I came back, I cut her body into parts,” he said.

He admitted to using the cutlass and knife recovered from his home but denied any links to money rituals despite the police finding body parts soaked in alcohol and other ritualistic items in his room. Bello also confessed he never called the police or sought medical help. “I was afraid of her father,” he told the court.

He emotionally told the judge that he loved Hafsoh and credited her for pushing him to further his education. “She encouraged me to take the 2024 NABTEB exam and register for JAMB,” he said.

In his defence, Bello claimed his video confession was made under duress, alleging the police beat him and forced him to say he poisoned Hafsoh and strangled her.

His four co-defendants also denied any involvement in the crime during their separate testimonies.

Due to the public outcry and demands from traditional and religious leaders, including the Emir of Ilorin, the Kwara State Government stepped in and elevated the matter to the High Court for prosecution.

Speaking after the final arguments were presented earlier this month, prosecution counsel Ahmed Folorunsho praised the speed and thoroughness of the proceedings. “In over two decades of legal practice, this is one of the swiftest trials I’ve seen,” he said, commending Justice Ajayi’s diligence.

The five defendants remain behind bars at the Oke-Kura Correctional Centre in Ilorin.

Thursday’s judgement is expected to bring long-awaited closure to Hafsoh’s grieving family and a public that has watched the trial unfold with deep interest and anger.