Hafsoh’s Murder: Dismembered Body Parts Presented in Court as Trial Begins + Photos

By Omowumi Omotosho and Bamidele Aremu

Abdulrahman Bello, the prime suspect in the murder of Hafsoh Lawal, a graduate of Kwara State

College of Education, Ilorin, along with his alleged 4 accomplices, appeared before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on Wednesday, as proceedings resumed in the suspected ritual killing.

The accused face charges of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, and unlawful possession of human body parts.

The case, heard in Courtroom 4 of the High Court of Justice complex Ilorin, drew a massive crowd, leaving the courtroom packed beyond capacity. At approximately 9 a.m., the armed squad of the Nigerian Correctional Centre escorted Bello and the four other defendants into the courtroom in handcuffs.

National Pilot confirmed that Hafsoh’s remains sealed in a plastic container with a blue cover were presented before the court as exhibits.

The proceedings began with witness testimonies, led by the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Senior Sulyman.

The first witness, ASP Yusuf Garba of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Ilorin Police Headquarters, testified to knowing all the accused individuals, recounting that they were brought to his office by Inspector Ayodele Azeez from the Anti-Robbery Unit, along with various exhibits for formal documentation.

Among the evidence tendered in court were human part, pairs of female slippers, bottle contained of blood, tecno smart phone, a button phones and wooden box containing black soap.

Others are; knife, earrings, one iPhone, XR Iphone, Itel A50 phone, sack with charms, animal horn, axe, plastic paint rubber containing human hand, notebook containing charms account/calculations and table stained with blood, all catalogued under charge number CER/22/25 before the court.

During cross-examination, Barrister Chukwudi Maduka, representing Abdulrahman Bello, questioned the witness on whether he personally witnessed the recovery of the exhibits and if he could specify which items were found in each suspect’s residence.

In a similar vein, Barrister A.O. Oseni, counsel for the second and fourth defendants, inquired if the witness was physically present at the time and location of the arrests and evidence recovery, or if the information was relayed to him afterward.

Barrister Yusuf, representing the third defendant, also pressed the witness to clearly identify which items were specifically linked to his client. The lawyer for the fifth defendant echoed similar concerns, asking for clarification on the items reportedly found with his client.

Inspector Mohammed Kamal, from the Homicide Division of the State CID in Ilorin, then took the stand and stated:“On 14th February 2025, at about 1500hr, a murder case was brought to us with human hands and the suspect was asked to confirm the items and he said, yes.

“I booked all the items and took the axe to UITH for preservation. On 16th February 2025, some other human parts was recovered at the dump site. Some police operatives went out on investigation mission with the first defendant and they later returned back with him along with some other human parts and he returned back to the Police Cell. I later carried the recovered human parts to UITH for preservation.

“On 9th April 2025, a letter of investigation activities and confirmation of the specimens was sent to UITH and on 10th April 2025, the examinations was conducted and tbe results was given to me on 11th April 2025.”

During further cross-examination, Barrister Chukwudi Maduka challenged the witness, pointing out that he neither participated in the suspect’s arrest nor in the recovery of the dismembered body parts at the crime scene. In response, the witness stated that the suspect had admitted the two severed hands were found in his residence.

Maduka further pressed the witness on whether any forensic analysis had been carried out to verify if the two hands were from the same individual. The witness replied that the victim’s father personally identified the hands as those of his daughter.

The deceased father, Ibrahim Lawal Adefalu, who testified as the 3rd witness, told the court he lives at No. 17 Adefalu Compound in the Oju Ekun area of Ilorin, Kwara State.

He acknowledged that he was familiar with the prime suspect, Abdulrahman Bello, and confirmed that the deceased, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, was his daughter, now deceased.

Adefalu narrated that: “Sometimes in February, Hafsoh told him that her friend, Islamiyah put to bed and will be doing naming ceremony of her baby. On 9th, she went to Falilat’s house for some beauty and fashionable activities of Laali design. On 10th she went to a private school where she was managing and returned back home around 1pm. She told me that she had secured permission from her boss to enable her attend the naming ceremony.

“She also seek permission from me to go and cook for the event along with her friends. She came back home to take her bath and I was at home together with her mum. She left home with jokes and funfair to attend the event just opposite our house.

“Around 4pm, her mum went our to the venue of the programme and Hafsoh was not sighted among them. She asked other friends of Hafsoh’s whereabout and they confirmed that she left for an known place after receiving a call. Infact, she couldn’t wait to eat the food that they served her.

“Her mum asked if she sought my permission before she left and I responded that, No she didn’t!”

“I picked my phone to dial her number but she didn’t respond to my call. I was upset and we expected her till around 6.30pm that day. Around 7pm, we dialed her number again and it was said that the line had been switched off. We call some relative to find out if Hafsoh had visited them. We waited till midnight searching for her everywhere. We couldn’t sleep and in the morning, I went to my father who spoke to me in Yoruba proverb meaning “This matter is getting out of hands.”

“On 11th April 2025, at about 3pm, I went to make complaints at “C Divison Police State Oja Oba, together with some of my relatives at and they advised us to quickly to tracking of Hafsoh’s line for prompt intervention and Police Officer Moses was attached to us.

“By 13th February, Officer Moses called me and showed me the call log and tracking result analysis and assured us that my daughter will soon be seen. On 14th, the same officer Moses called me to inform me that arrest has been made in respect of the tracking. I was told that Abdulrahman Bello has been arrested and I ws taken to the DPO office.

“Abdulrahman Bello was also called and asked to tell me what really transpired . The police told me that he has confessed to them but they want him to tell me with his mouth. Abdulrahman Bello confessed to me too that he has killed my daughter, Hafsoh Lawal.

“We requested them to bring the bring remains of my daughter and Abdulrahman Bello responded that the matter is beyond that and he was told to continue his confession. Abdulrahman Bello said he had dismembered the remains of my daughter. The police therefore followed him to his house while ai was sitted inside the DPO office. They brought him back with plastic rubbers containing human parts an some other itmes. I can still identify all the items brought if I see them again.

“On that day, I saw from flesh and hands of my daughter as well as blood inside plastic bottle and Abdulrahman Bello told me that it was Hafsoh’s blood . I was able to identify my daughter’s hands because I was there when she was doing the designs. Other items are; Hafsoh’s two phones, waist beed, slippers among other things. He was later taken out by the police for parading with all the items recovered from him. ”

Adefalu proceeded to recognize and confirm each of the items shown to him as evidence, after which Justice Hannah Olushola Ajayi formally accepted them into the court record as exhibits.

The fourth witness, Falilat Abdulafees, identified herself as a close friend of the late Hafsoh and a student enrolled in the University of Ado-Ekiti’s affiliate program at Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin narrated that: “Hafsoh was my intimate friend and confirmed that one of their common friend scheduled to hold child’s naming on 10th February 2025. On that day, Hafsoh went to work while I was with the celebrant, assisting in cooking activities.

“Immediately she returned from work, she came to meet us where we were cooking food, we all finished together, and went back home to bath. After that, Hafsoh came to meet me and we both returned back to the venue of the event. When we were about to eat, Hafsoh stood up and that she won’t be able to eat anything because she had just received an urgent call.

“I wasn’t the only person there, we were many that she told. We inquired about where she was going but she didn’t diclosed to us. That was the last time and day that me and Hafsoh talked together. By that night, I had returned back to school and my mum called me to inform me that Hafsoh’s mother was with her and searching for her whereabout.

“Three days later, I came from school to follow up about the search for my friend. We continued the search together and the next day, I received a call from Oja-Oba police station, asking sone informations about Hafsoh which I obliged them and gave them pictures of Hafsoh Lawal.”

Following the acceptance of all items as exhibits, Justice H.O. Ajayi subsequently postponed further proceedings, scheduling the next hearing for Monday, May 12, 2025.

Speaking to newsmen after the court session, Barrister Moshood Agboola Yusuf, legal counsel to the third defendant, Muyideen Sulyman, disclosed that the matter had seen the prosecution call four witnesses.

“Today, we began the hearing of the matter and the prosecution called four witnesses. Two official witnesses and a relative, father of the deceased, and one of our friends. They testified in the court. The good thing about it is that all the SBs that attended, there was no nexus between that SB and my own client. They only related it to the fourth defendant, which is Abrahman Bello, who also in his own wisdom and wisdom and caprices has said that all the other defendants know nothing about the ongoing cases,” he said.