Justice Halimat Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court has sentenced Islamic cleric Abdulrahman Bello to death for the gruesome murder of his lover, Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.
In her judgement delivered on Thursday, Justice Ajayi held that the evidence presented by the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Bello had a premeditated plan to kill Hafsoh and use her body parts for money rituals.
According to the court, Bello’s actions, from luring Hafsoh to his residence in the Olunlade area of Ilorin, to killing her, dismembering her body and preserving her parts in alcohol showed clear intent and careful planning.
The judge noted that the defendant made all necessary preparations for the crime and his later attempts to change his story during the trial could not erase the overwhelming evidence.
“The court is convinced that the defendant had a preconceived intention to kill the deceased for ritual purposes,” Justice Ajayi ruled.
Bello, who initially confessed before a magistrate court that he dismembered Hafsoh’s corpse after she died in his home, later changed his narrative at the high court.
He claimed the victim died during sexual intercourse after an asthma attack.
He admitted to mutilating her body but denied killing her or engaging in rituals.
He also claimed he acted alone, absolving his four co-defendants, Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhyideen, Jamiu Uthman and Abdulrahman Jamiu, all of whom were arraigned alongside him on charges including criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, unlawful possession of human parts, armed robbery and dealing in human parts.
The police had recovered damning items from Bello’s residence, including human palms, a container filled with blood, black soap, charms, a cutlass and waist beads.
Despite his denial, investigators found that Hafsoh’s body parts were preserved for five days, fueling suspicions of ritual intentions.
Public outrage over the case, which dates back to 2024, prompted the Kwara State Government to take over the prosecution.
The case drew attention from religious leaders, student unions and even the Emir of Ilorin, all of whom demanded justice for Hafsoh.
Speaking after the ruling, the complainants’ counsel, Ahmed Folorunsho, praised the court for delivering swift and thorough justice in a case that had captured the state’s attention.
He described the process as one of the most efficient he had witnessed in over two decades of legal practice.
The judgement brings long-awaited closure to Hafsoh’s grieving family and the wider community, who have followed the trial closely in hopes of accountability.
