Justice Served: Kwara Court Sentences Cleric to Death for Ritual Killing of Female Student

A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Mohad (also known as Mohammed A. Bello), to death for the ritual murder of Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, a final-year student at Kwara State College of Education.

Justice Hannah Ajayi delivered the judgment on Thursday, marking the end of a high-profile case that gripped the Ilorin community. The court found Mohad guilty of the gruesome murder that occurred on February 10, 2025, after Hafsoh mysteriously vanished while attending a naming ceremony.

Following a report by her family to the police at Oja Oba Station the next day, investigators used Hafsoh’s phone records to trace her final call—made to the convicted cleric. The trail led directly to Abdulrahman Mohad, who was subsequently arrested.

According to the police’s First Information Report (FIR), the cleric, along with other suspects, initially confessed to being part of an occult group and revealed that the student was targeted, robbed, and killed for ritual purposes.

However, after the trial, four co-accused—Ahmed Abulwasiu (an Islamic scholar), Sulaiman Muhydeen (a business operator), Jamiu Uthman (a phone repairer), and AbdulRahman Jamiu (a farmer)—were discharged and acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence directly linking them to the crime.

The judge described the murder as both premeditated and horrific, stressing that such heinous acts have no place in society. The death sentence handed to Mohad, she said, reflects the seriousness of the crime and sends a strong message that justice will be served, regardless of status or profession.

This case has renewed public calls for better protection of women and students, as well as stricter monitoring of individuals who use religion as a cover for criminal activities. It also underscores the importance of modern investigative tools, such as call tracking, in solving crimes.

The verdict has brought a measure of closure to the grieving family, as the memory of Hafsoh’s tragic end continues to echo across Kwara State.