By Fatima Abubakar ,Ilorin
The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for the brutal murder of Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year student of the College of Education, Ilorin.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Justice Hannah Ajayi described the killing as a cruel and despicable act committed under the guise of affection. The court found that Bello lured Hafsoh to his residence at the Olunlade area of Ilorin on February 10, 2025, with false promises of love and marriage before sexually assaulting and killing her for ritual purposes.
According to court findings, Bello dismembered the victim’s body after the murder. During a police search of his residence, officers recovered the victim’s palm, a bottle containing blood, and her personal belongings. A cutlass used in the act was also found, while other decomposing body parts were discovered at a nearby dumpsite.
“The supposed confession of love and intentions to marry her were deliberate lies used to lure the unsuspecting victim,” Justice Ajayi remarked. “The act was premeditated, inhumane, and a horrifying display of human wickedness.”
The judge subsequently sentenced Bello to death by hanging.
Meanwhile, four co-defendants — Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Jamiu Uthman, Suleiman Muyideen, and Abdulrahman Jamiu were discharged and acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
The judgment has been widely hailed by the public as justice served for the brutal and senseless killing of Hafsoh Lawal.
