Appeal Court Affirms Death Sentence for Cleric Convicted of Killing and Dismembering His Lover In Ilorin

The Court of Appeal in Ilorin has upheld the death sentence imposed on self-proclaimed Islamic cleric Abdulrahman Bello for the murder of his lover, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.

Lawal was killed on 10 February 2025 in the Olunlade area of Ilorin, a crime that sparked widespread public outrage across Kwara State and drew national attention.

Bello was initially arraigned alongside four other defendants on charges bordering on conspiracy, murder, unlawful possession and removal of human body parts. He also faced a rape charge, although he was acquitted of that count by the trial court.

In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole, the appellate court dismissed Bello’s appeal, ruling that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was responsible for Lawal’s murder and the unlawful possession of human body parts.

The court consequently affirmed the judgment of the Kwara State High Court, which sentenced Bello to death by hanging for murder and imposed an additional 10-year prison term for unlawful possession of human body parts.

In the lead judgment, the court held that the evidence presented during the trial overwhelmingly supported Bello’s conviction. It also upheld the trial court’s decision to admit his video and written confessional statements as evidence, rejecting his argument that the confessions were obtained under torture.

The appellate court further noted that evidence presented during the trial, including a book on money-making charms allegedly recovered from Bello’s residence, formed part of the material considered by the lower court in reaching its verdict.

However, Bello was cleared of the rape charge.

The four co-defendants — Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman and Abdulrahman Jamiu — were also discharged and acquitted after the prosecution failed to establish their involvement in the offences.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling brings an end to Bello’s challenge against the judgment of the Kwara State High Court, leaving his conviction and sentence intact, subject to any further appeal permitted under Nigerian law.