An Ilorin High Court in Kwara State has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Mohad, also known as Mohammed A. Bello, to death for the ritual murder of Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, a final-year student at Kwara State College of Education.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice Hannah Ajayi.
The tragic incident happened on February 10, 2025, when Hafsoh mysteriously disappeared after receiving a phone call during a naming ceremony. Her family reported her missing the next day, and a police investigation traced the last call to Abdulrahman Mohad, leading to his arrest.
According to the police report, Abdulrahman and other suspects confessed to belonging to the same occult group and admitted killing the student for ritual purposes.
However, four other accused persons — Islamic scholar Ahmed Abulwasiu, business operator Sulaiman Muhydeen, phone repairer Jamiu Uthman, and farmer AbdulRahman Jamiu — were discharged and acquitted by the court.
The case has highlighted ongoing concerns about ritual killings and safety of students in the region.
