Abdulrahman Bello, the suspected murderer of Hafsoh Lawal along with his accomplices appeared for an High Court sitting in Ilorin on Wednesday in continuation of the alleged ritual murder case.
ROYAL NEWS reports that Wednesday’s sitting commenced with the appearance of witnesses who were led in evidence by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the State, Barr. Senior Sulyman.
The first witness, ASP Yusuf Garba, an officer from the CID Police headquarters, Ilorin confirmed that he know all the defendants in the matter stressing that he was in his office when Inspector Ayodele Azeez attached to the anti-robbery brought all the suspects along with some exihibits for registration.
They were alleged with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and illegal posession of human parts. Items brought are; human part, pairs of female slippers, bottle contained of blood techno and small phones and wooden box containing black soap.
Others are; knife, ear rings, one iPhone, SR phone, Itel A50 phone, sack with charms, animal horn, axe, plastic paint rubber containing human hand, notebook containing charms account/calculations and table stained with blood and registered them in a charge sheet with registration number CER/22/25.
He therefore presented all the said exihibits before the court.
Barr. Chukwudi Maduka, counsel to Abdulrahman Bello, however cross examined the witness and asked him if he was there when the items were recovered as well as the items recovered in each suspects houses respectively.
Barr. A.O. Oseni, Counsel to the 2nd & 4th defendants also asked that was the witness at the scene of the arrest and recovery of the items or rather, he was told?
Similarly, Barr. Yusuf, counsel of the 3rd defendant requested the witness to identify the items that was recovered from his client while counsel to the 5th defendant also asked similar question on behalf of his client.
Insp. Mohammed Kamal, attached to homicide section, State CID Ilorin said: “On 14th February 2025, at about 1500hr, a murder case was brought to us with human hands and the suspect was asked to confirm the items and he said, YES!
I booked all the items and took the axe to UITH for preservation. On 16th February 2025, some other human parts was recovered at the dump site. Some police operatives went out on investigation mission with the first defendant and they later returned back with him along with some other human parts and he returned back to the Police Cell. I later carried the recovered human parts to UITH for preservation.
On 9th April 2025, a letter of investigation activities and confirmation of the specimens was sent to UITH and on 10th April 2025, the examinations was conducted and tbe results was given to me on 11th April 2025.
Our correspondent confirmed that human parts were brought to the court as evidences which the witness brought out in the open court for the people to see.
Barr. Maduka cross-examined the witness saying that he was not part of the team that arretsed the suspect and was not part of the team that recovered the human part from the scene of the incidence. The witness responded by saying that the suspect confirmed that the two hands was recovered from his house.
Maduka further inquired if the witness conducted any examination was conducted to ascertain that the two hands belong to the same person and the witness said the father of the victim identified the two hands has belonging to his daughter.
Ibrahim Lawal Adefalu, the father of the victim appeared as the 3rd witness, said he resides at 17 Adefalu Compound, Oju Ekun Area, Ilorin Kwara State.
He confirmed knowing the Principal suspect, Abdulrahman Ballo and that Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal was his daughter adding she has died.
Adefalu added that, ” Sometimes in February, Hafsoh told him that her friend, Islamiyah put to bed and will be doing naming ceremony of her baby. On 9th, she went to Falilat’s house for some beauty and fashionable activities of Laali design. On 10th she went to a private school where she was managing and returned back home around 1pm. She told me that she had secured permission from her boss to enable her attend the naming ceremony.
“She also seek permission from me to go and cook for the event along with her friends. She came back home to take her bath and I was at home together with her mum. She left home with jokes and funfair to attend the event just opposite our house.
“Around 4pm, her mum went our to the venue of the programme and Hafsoh was not sighted among them. She asked other friends of Hafsoh’s whereabout and they confirmed that she left for an known place after receiving a call. Infact, she couldn’t wait to eat the food that they served her.
“Her mum asked if she sought my permission before she left and I responded that, No she didn’t!”
“I picked my phone to dial her number but she didn’t respond to my call. I was upset and we expected her till around 6.30pm that day. Around 7pm, we dialed her number again and it was said that the line had been switched off. We call some relative to find out if Hafsoh had visited them. We waited till midnight searching for her everywhere. We couldn’t sleep and in the morning, I went to my father who spoke to me in Yoruba proverb meaning “This matter is getting out of hands.”
“On 11th April 2025, at about 3pm, I went to make complaints at “C Divison Police State Oja Oba, together with some of my relatives at and they advised us to quickly to tracking of Hafsoh’s line for prompt intervention and Police Officer Moses was attached to us.
“By 13th February, Officer Moses called me and showed me the call log and tracking result analysis and assured us that my daughter will soon be seen. On 14th, the same officer Moses called me to inform me that arrest has been made in respect of the tracking. I was told that Abdulrahman Bello has been arrested and I ws taken to the DPO office.
” Abdulrahman Bello was also called and asked to tell me what really transpired . The police told me that he has confessed to them but they want him to tell me with his mouth. Abdulrahman Bello confessed to me too that he has killed my daughter, Hafsoh Lawal.
“We requested them to bring the bring remains of my daughter and Abdulrahman Bello responded that the matter is beyond that and he was told to continue his confession. Abdulrahman Bello said he had dismembered the remains of my daughter. The police therefore followed him to his house while ai was sitted inside the DPO office. They brought him back with plastic rubbers containing human parts an some other itmes. I can still identify all the items brought if I see them again.
“On that day, I saw from flesh and hands of my daughter as well as blood inside plastic bottle and Abdulrahman Bello told me that it was Hafsoh’s blood . I was able to identify my daughter’s hands because I was there when she was doing the designs. Other items are; Hafsoh’s two phones, waist beed, slippers among other things. He was later taken out by the police for parading with all the items recovered from him. ”
Adefalu therefore identified all the items presented before him as evidences while the judge, Justice Hannah Olushola Ajayi admitted them as exihibits.
Falilat Abdulafees, the 4th witness was Hafsoh’s friend and student of the University of Ado-Ekiti affiliated to the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.
Falilat added; “Hafsoh was my intimate friend and confirmed that one of their common friend scheduled to hold child’s naming on 10th February 2025. On that day, Hafsoh went to work while I was with the celebrant, assisting in cooking activities.
Immediately she returned from work, she came to meet us where we were cooking food, we all finished together, and went back home to bath. After that, Hafsoh came to meet me and we both returned back to the venue of the event. When we were about to eat, Hafsoh stood up and that she won’t be able to eat anything because she had just received an urgent call.
“I wasn’t the only person there, we were many that she told. We inquired about where she was going but she didn’t diclosed to us. That was the last time and day that me and Hafsoh talked together. By that night, I had returned back to school and my mum called me to inform me that Hafsoh’s mother was with her and searching for her whereabout.
Three days later, I came from school to follow up about the search for my friend. We continued the search together and the next day, I received a call from Oja-Oba police station, asking sone informations about Hafsoh which I obliged them and gave them pictures of Hafsoh Lawal.
The case lasted for 3hours from 9.04am to 12.04pm, ROYAL NEWS has gathered.
After admitting all the items brought to as exihibits, Justice H.O. Ajayi therefore adjourned the case to Monday 12th May 2025.
