Ilorin, July 31, 2025
The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for the murder of Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a 24-year-old final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education.
Presiding over the case, Justice Adebayo Yusuf found Bello guilty of the gruesome killing that shook the Ilorin community in 2021. The judge described the murder as premeditated and callous, stating that the evidence presented by the prosecution left no reasonable doubt of the convict’s culpability.
The court heard that Bello lured the victim under false pretences before taking her life in cold blood. The tragic death of Hafsoh, a promising young woman on the verge of completing her studies, sparked outrage across the state and led to widespread calls for justice.
Justice Yusuf, while delivering judgment, said the punishment was in line with the severity of the crime and a necessary step toward deterrence. “The sentence of this court upon you, Abdulrahman Bello, is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead,” he ruled.
The courtroom was filled with emotions as family members of the late Hafsoh wept silently, clutching pictures of their daughter who was described as intelligent, humble, and full of hope for the future.
The prosecution team praised the court’s decision, noting it as a victory for justice and a signal that violence against women will not go unpunished.
With the sentencing, Kwara State reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice prevails, no matter how long it takes.