Abdulrahman Bello was sentenced to death by hanging on Thursday by a Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, the state capital, for the murder of Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a 24-year-old final-year student at the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.  

After four months of trial, Justice Hannah Ajayi delivered her verdict on Thursday, finding Bello guilty of killing the victim, who was allegedly his Facebook girlfriend.  

In February, four charges of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, possession of human parts, and armed robbery were brought against the prime suspects and their four accomplices.

Sections 97 and 221 of the Penal Code Law, Section 2 of the Kwara State (Prohibition Law) of Dealing in Human Parts Law 4 of 2018, and Section 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act CAP R11 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 were all violated, the prosecution claimed.  

However, four co-defendants who were first arraigned with Bello—Ahmed Abdulwasiu (41), Suleiman Muyideen (28), Jamiu Uthman (29), and Abdulrahmon Jamiu (31), were released and acquitted by the court.

Bello had admitted to killing Lawal for financial rituals at the start of the trial, saying he required human hands to do it. 

 He acknowledged doing the act by himself and described himself as an Islamic cleric.  Testimonies indicate that the incident happened on February 13, 2025.

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