Court sentences Ilorin student’s killer to death
Justice
Abdullateef Fowewe
The High Court in Kwara State, situated in Ilorin, has sentenced Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for the horrific murder of Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year student at the College of Education, Ilorin.
In the ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice Hannah Ajayi found Bello guilty of deceiving Hafsoh into coming to his home under false pretenses before murdering and dismembering her, allegedly for the purposes of money rituals and trafficking in human body parts.
The judge characterized the crime as “cruel, wicked, and an extreme manifestation of human depravity,” rejecting Bello’s assertions of love for the victim and intentions of marriage as fabricated lies aimed at manipulating and ensnaring her.
The offence occurred on February 10, 2025, at the Olunlade area in Ilorin, where Bello reportedly invited Hafsoh to his home, had sex with her, and then murdered her.
While Bello was convicted and handed the death penalty, four other defendants—Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Jamiu Uthman, Suleiman Muyideen, and Abdulrahman Jamiu—were discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence linking them to the crime. Justice Ajayi ordered their immediate release.
