Kwara State High Court sentences Abdulrahman Bello to death for killing Facebook lover
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, Ilorin.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, after a four-month trial, Justice Hannah Ajayi found Bello guilty of the crime, which occurred on February 13, 2025.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted four co-defendants — Ahmed Abdulwasiu (41), Suleiman Muyideen (28), Jamiu Uthman (29), and Abdulrahmon Jamiu (31) — who were initially arraigned alongside Bello.
Bello confessed during the trial to killing Lawal, whom he met on Facebook, claiming he needed human hands for a money ritual. He identified himself as an Islamic cleric and admitted that he acted alone.
“I killed her because I needed human hands for ritual purposes,” Bello told the court.
According to court records, the victim was lured to Bello’s residence around the Offa Garage area of Ilorin after attending a friend’s naming ceremony.
During the proceedings, Bello gave conflicting statements. At one point, he claimed he strangled Lawal after multiple rounds of sex before dismembering her body. In another account, he said she died from an asthma attack, and he mutilated the body out of fear.
Justice Ajayi described Bello’s testimony as inconsistent and unreliable, ruling that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
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