Inside Story: Why Court Acquit Others, Sentenced Kwara Cleric to Death Over Female Student’s Killing
- Kwara State High Court sentences Islamic cleric Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for murdering student Hafsat Yetunde Lawal.
- The prosecuting counsel explains why the four co-defendants were found not guilty despite arrest and preliminary investigation linking them to the crime
- Bello was found guilty of culpable homicide and illegal possession of human parts, with a sentence determined by overwhelming evidence and confessional statements
Ilorin, Kwara State - Fresh details have emerged on why the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin sentenced only Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of Hafsat Yetunde Lawal, a student of the Kwara State College of Education, while discharging and acquitting his four co-defendants.
Source: Twitter
Legit.ng gathered that Justice Hannah Ajayi delivered the ruling on Thursday, July 31, after months of intense trial.
The case had attracted widespread public attention due to the gruesome nature of the killing and the religious identity of the lead suspect.
The four discharged defendants include 41-year-old Islamic scholar Ahmed Abulwasiu of Adualere, Ilorin, 28-year-old businessman Sulaiman Muhydeen from Amilegbe, Ilorin, 29-year-old phone repairer Jamiu Uthman of Adualere, and 31-year-old farmer Abdulrahman Jamiu from Elemere, Malete.
Prosecutor's statement
A lawyer from the Kwara State Ministry of Justice, who spoke to Legit.ng shortly after the ruling, explained the reason the ruling convicted only Abdulrahman Bello.
“We had four count charges before the court. The first one was a conspiracy. The judge ruled that the prosecution was unable to prove that the five defendants conspired to commit this crime.
“This was why my lord discharged and acquitted four others. No evidence of them conspiring with the first defendant, the cleric, who is the main suspect in this case.
"So, the court discharged and acquitted four others since there was no evidence to prove the case of conspiracy against them,” the lawyer explained.
On the rape allegation against the cleric, the lawyer admitted that the court found no convincing evidence.
“The second count was on the allegation of rape that Abdulrahman, the cleric, raped Hafsoh, the murdered student, before he killed her. That also was not proved convincingly before the court.
"In fact, throughout this proceeding, no evidence of rape was tendered to the court.
So, he was discharged in the case of rape. And since there was no evidence to prove the rape case, the judge cannot do anything,” the lawyer added.
The lawyer noted that on the charge of illegal possession of human parts and blood, the court found Abdulrahman Bello guilty.
“This count was proved before the court with overwhelming evidence and with the confessional statements of the first defendant.
He was held to be guilty of this charge, and the court, therefore, sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment with a fine of N100,000. And if he is unable to pay the fine, he would spend another six months in prison.”
The lawyer further explained that Bello’s fate was sealed on the fourth charge, culpable homicide.
“The fourth count is the main one, that is, culpable homicide with death. The court was also satisfied with all the evidence rendered before it that the first defendant was guilty of the count.
"The conviction was a result of overwhelming evidence and the statements he made when he was with the DSS and the police.
"The court ruled that he was the one who killed Hafsoh. Hence, the court ruled that he should be killed by hanging,” the lawyer concluded.
Deceased's family's legal representative's statement
Another legal practitioner involved in the case, Dr. Ahmed Hussein Folorunsho, who represented the nominal complainant, said the ruling was fair.
“Like I said earlier, this trial was the fastest I have ever witnessed. The four defendants were exonerated because a case of conspiracy was not proved to the court.
"Everything was pointing to the first defendant as the only person who committed this crime. As we all know, the law allows him to appeal this case to the higher court, the appeal court.
"And we are expecting him to do that. He has the right to even appeal up to the Supreme Court,” Folorunsho stated.
The murder case dates back to Monday, February 10, 2025, when Hafsat Yetunde Lawal mysteriously disappeared after receiving a phone call while attending a naming ceremony in Ilorin. Her disappearance prompted a frantic search by family and friends before the matter was reported at Oja Oba Police Station.
Using her phone call logs, investigators traced her last communication to Abdulrahman Bello, leading to his arrest. He was later linked to the killing, and four others were also picked up as alleged accomplices.
The first defendant, who is a resident of Offa Garage area but has roots in Isalekoto, Ilorin, was initially taken into custody by the police and later handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) before the trial commenced.
The court has now closed that chapter for four of the accused, but Bello’s conviction may still go through the appeals process.
His legal team may file an appeal in the coming days.
Source: Twitter
Court sentenced Bello to death by hanging
Legit.ng previously reported that the Kwara State High Court on Thursday, July 31, sentenced a self-acclaimed Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Bello, to death by hanging for allegedly killing a student of the Kwara State College of Education, Hafsat Yetunde Lawal.
Legit.ng's Kwara state correspondent attended the court session where Justice Hannah Ajayi of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin, delivered the notable judgment.
Source: Legit.ng
Atanda Omobolaji (Kwara State Correspondent)
Abdul-Hafeez Fadehan (Editorial Assistant) Abdul-Hafeez Fadehan is a Legit.ng journalist with over a year of experience writing for Punch Newspaper. He received his BSc in Criminology and Security Studies from FUOYE. His background in media communications and criminology, with practical experience in research, interviewing, and digital media, allows him to craft compelling narratives that drive positive change. Fadehan is an Editorial Assistant on Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng. He is committed to ethical journalism, leveraging his skills to create a meaningful impact. Reach him at abdul-hafeez.fadehan@corp.legit.ng or 070622666732.
