Abdulrahman Bello makes chilling confession on illorin students death

A suspected ritualist, Abdulrahman Bello, has confessed to dismembering the body of a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, during his trial before a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.

The suspect, who was arrested in February 2025, admitted in court on Tuesday that he personally severed the deceased’s body using a knife and a cutlass, after she allegedly died from an asthma attack during a visit to his apartment.

Bello, who identified himself as an Islamic cleric, told the court that he had invited the 24-year-old student to his residence after the two met through Facebook.

According to his testimony, the victim collapsed during intimacy and passed away before he could return with her inhaler. He claimed that he consumed alcohol upon returning and later decided to dismember her body.

“After I returned, I took alcohol. I then took a knife and cutlass and severed her body. I did it alone,” Bello said while responding to questions from the prosecution.

He insisted that his co-defendants were not involved in the killing or disposal of the body.

His chilling confession confirmed earlier police findings that included the recovery of Hafsoh’s dismembered remains soaked in alcohol, various blood-stained cutting tools, and a wooden table allegedly used to perform ritualistic acts.

Authorities believe the killing may have had ritual motives, pointing to the methodical way the body was disposed and the paraphernalia found in Bello’s possession.

Despite the suspect’s claim that the victim died of natural causes, law enforcement and forensic evidence have cast doubt on his account.

The remains were not only dismembered but deliberately preserved in a chemical solution—suggesting premeditation and possible ritual intent.

Four other individuals—initially arrested as co-conspirators—are standing trial alongside Bello. However, during his testimony, Bello maintained that none of the other accused persons participated in the crime.

The presiding judge, Justice Hannah Ajayi, granted time for all parties to file their written addresses and adjourned the case until July 2, 2025, for the adoption of final arguments.

The case has drawn wide attention across Kwara State and beyond, with residents expressing shock and outrage over the brutality of the crime. Human rights groups and student associations have called for a thorough and transparent judicial process, demanding justice for the slain student.

As the trial moves toward conclusion, the nation awaits the verdict on what has become one of the most disturbing criminal cases in Kwara’s recent history.