The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin has affirmed the de@th sentence imposed on self-acclaimed Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Bello, for the m¥rder of his lover, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.
Lawal was m¥rdered on February 10, 2025, in the Olunlade area of Ilorin, a case that sparked widespread outrage across Kwara State and beyond.
Bello and four others were initially arraigned on charges of conspiracy, m¥rder, unlawful removal and possession of human parts and bl%%d. Bello was also charged with r@pe but was acquitted of that count by the trial court.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole, the Court of Appeal dismissed Bello’s appeal, ruling that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that he m¥rdered Lawal and unlawfully possessed human parts.
The appellate court consequently upheld the judgment of the Kwara State High Court, affirming Bello’s de@th sentence by hanging for m¥rder and an additional 10-year prison term for unlawful possession of human parts.
Justice Ajayi also held that Bello’s conduct before his arrest suggested the crime may not have been his first, while a book on money-making charms recovered from his apartment further strengthened the prosecution’s case. She equally ruled that his video and written confessional statements were lawfully admitted in evidence, dismissing his claim that they were obtained through torture.
While Bello was acquitted of the r@pe charge, the four other defendants Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman and Abdulrahman Jamiu were also discharged and acquitted after the prosecution failed to establish their involvement in the offences.
