Kwara-based Islamic cleric arrested for k!lling final year student he lured from Facebook

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a self-proclaimed Islamic cleric, AbdulRahman Bello, for allegedly k!lling a final-year student, Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, for ritual purposes.

The tragic incident occurred on February 10, 2025, after Hafsoh mysteriously disappeared.

Hafsoh, a student at the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, was last seen attending a naming ceremony on the day she went missing. Witnesses say she was eating when she received a phone call and left the event, never to be seen again. Her family reported her disappearance to the Oja Oba Police Station the following day, prompting an intense search.

Investigators traced Hafsoh’s last call to Bello, who lived in Offa Garage, Ilorin, though his family home is in Isalekoto. Initially, Bello denied any knowledge of her whereabouts, but during a search of his residence, officers discovered a gruesome scene. Hafsoh’s dismembered body was found in a bowl, along with tools suspected to have been used in the crime.

Bello claimed Hafsoh died from an asthma attack after visiting his home. However, forensic evidence, including a table stocked with dismembering tools, suggests otherwise. Police sources revealed that Bello is the son of a well-known Islamic cleric from Isalekoto, who recently passed away.

Kwara State Police PRO, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the case, describing it as “gruesome” and assuring that a full investigation is underway. “On 11/02/2025 at about 18:00 hours, a case of a missing person was reported at C Division Oja-Oba by her father, Mr. Ibrahim A. Lawal. Immediately, police detectives swung into action, tracked her number, and arrested a suspect. The case was transferred yesterday (Friday) to the SCID for further investigations. More updates will follow.”

The suspect remains in police custody as authorities investigate possible previous victims.