The Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has handed down a death sentence by hanging to Abdulrahman Bello, the principal defendant in the murder trial of Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final‑year student at the Kwara State College of Education.
Presiding judge Justice Hannah Olushola Ajayi described the killing as “the highest degree of human wickedness,” characterizing it as a meticulously planned and cold‑blooded crime. Bello reportedly lured the 24‑year‑old victim via Facebook before perpetrating the brutal murder.
A moment that drew shock was when Bello smiled as the guilty verdict was read aloud. In addition to the execution sentence, the court imposed a 10‑year prison term, or a ₦100,000 fine (or six months imprisonment), for the illegal possession of human blood and body parts—charges tied to the alleged motivation behind the crime, understood to involve rituals and illicit trade in human remains.
The court also acquitted four co‑accused individuals—Ahmed Abdulwasiu (41 years old), Suleiman Muyideen (28), Jamiu Uthman (29), and Abdulrahmon Jamiu (31)—finding insufficient evidence to implicate them in the crime.
This ruling brings legal closure to a case that had gained widespread condemnation and reignited public debates over safety, gender-based violence, and social media‑related crimes.
