Bello was found guilty of luring Hafsoh—whom he posed as being in love with—to his residence in the Olunlade area of Ilorin, where he killed her.
A High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced one Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for the horrific murder of Yetunde Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year student of the College of Education, Ilorin.
The court, presided over by Justice Hannah Ajayi, delivered the ruling on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Bello was found guilty of luring Hafsoh—whom he posed as being in love with—to his residence in the Olunlade area of Ilorin, where he killed her. The judge noted that Bello’s romantic advances were nothing more than a ploy to gain her trust before committing the crime.
According to details presented during the trial, Bello murdered Hafsoh on February 10, 2025. He allegedly had sexual relations with her before taking her life and dismembering her body.
Investigators later found disturbing items in his room, including the victim’s severed palm, a blood-filled bottle, and a cutlass believed to have been used in the act. Decomposed remains of Hafsoh were also discovered at a dumpsite nearby.
Justice Ajayi condemned the act as a deliberate and heartless crime, fueled by ritual motives and an intent to traffic in human body parts. She described it as a chilling display of evil and deceit, emphasizing that the evidence presented left no doubt about the convict’s guilt.
While Bello faced the full weight of the law, four other individuals who were initially charged alongside him—Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Jamiu Uthman, Suleiman Muyideen, and Abdulrahman Jamiu—were discharged and acquitted. The judge ruled that no solid evidence linked them to the killing, and therefore, they were not culpable.
In her final pronouncement, Justice Ajayi declared Bello’s actions as inexcusable and sentenced him to death by hanging.