Islamic Cleric, Four Others Arraigned In Ilorin For Ritual Murder Of College Student

Ilorin, Kwara State– The Nigeria Police Force has arraigned an Islamic cleric,  Mohammed A. Bello, and four others for allegedly killing Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, a final-year student of Kwara State College of Education, for ritual purposes.

Recalled Afrika Eyes reported that Hafsoh was reportedly lured by the suspect after they connected on Facebook and exchanged phone numbers. The tragic incident occurred on Monday, February 10, 2025.

However , Hafsoh was attending a naming ceremony when she received a phone call from a friend. She left her meal to answer the call but never returned.

Meanwhile, concerned family members and friends searched for her in vain before reporting her disappearance to the police at the Oja Oba Station in Ilorin the following day.

Investigators traced her last phone call, leading them to Ballo’s residence in the Offa Garage area of Ilorin. His family house is located in Isalekoto.

The police have also arrested four other suspects linked to the crime: Ahmed Abulwasiu (41), an Islamic scholar from Adualere, Ilorin, Sulaiman Muhydeen (28), a Neo Life businessperson from Amilegbe, Ilorin, Jamiu Uthman (29), a phone repairer from Adualere, Ilorin and AbdulRahman Jamiu (31), a farmer from Elemere, Malete.

The police First Information Report (FIR) indicated that the suspects belong to the same occult group and had confessed to robbing and murdering Hafsoh for ritual purposes.

However, in a recorded video from the court proceedings, Abdulrahman Mohad was heard claiming sole responsibility for the killing, stating, “I am the only one that killed her. These other people were not there.”

The Magistrate Court in Ilorin has ordered that the suspects remain in custody until the next hearing.