ILORIN, NIGERIA – The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin has delivered a landmark judgment, affirming the death sentence imposed on Abdulrahman Bello, a self-acclaimed Islamic cleric, for the brutal murder of his lover, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal.
The victim, who was a final-year student at the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, was murdered on February 10, 2025, in the Olunlade area of the state capital. The case, which involved the dismemberment of the victim, sparked widespread public outrage across Kwara State and the nation at large.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, a three-member panel led by Justice Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole dismissed Bello’s appeal for lack of merit. The appellate court held that the prosecution successfully proved beyond reasonable doubt that Bello murdered the victim and was in unlawful possession of human parts. The court consequently upheld the July 2025 verdict of the Kwara State High Court, which sentenced Bello to death by hanging. The appellate court also affirmed an additional 10-year jail term for the unlawful possession of human parts.
The prosecution at the appellate level was led by the Kwara State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, supported by Chief State Counsel Issa Zakari and Assistant Chief State Counsel B.L. Abdulsalam.
The initial trial, presided over by Justice Hannah Ajayi, described the crime as “the highest degree of human wickedness.” The judge noted that the act was “premeditated and cold-blooded,” dismissing Bello’s claims of love for the deceased as a deceptive afterthought. Evidence presented during the trial included a book on money-making charms recovered from Bello’s apartment and confessional statements—both written and recorded on video—obtained by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police. Despite Bello’s allegations that the confessions were obtained through torture, the court ruled them lawfully admitted. While Bello was acquitted of a rape charge, he was found guilty of the primary counts of murder and possession of human parts.
The Kwara State Ministry of Justice described the appellate judgment as a “significant milestone” in the state’s criminal justice administration. In a statement, the ministry emphasized that the ruling reinforces public confidence in the rule of law and ensures that those guilty of grave offenses are held accountable. “The judgment underscores the commitment of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice and the judiciary to ensuring that criminal cases are determined strictly in accordance with the law and the evidence,” the statement read.
During the initial trial, four other defendants—Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman, and Abdulrahman Jamiu—were discharged and acquitted after the prosecution failed to establish their involvement in the crime. Although the death sentence has been affirmed by the Court of Appeal, the convict, Abdulrahman Bello, still retains the right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria as provided under the Constitution.
