By Atoyebi Nike
A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Mohad also known as Mohammed A. Bello to death for the ritual killing of Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education.
Justice Hannah Ajayi delivered the judgment on Thursday, condemning Mohad to death following his conviction for the murder which occurred on February 10, 2025.
Hafsoh was last seen attending a naming ceremony before receiving a call and mysteriously vanishing. Her disappearance prompted a police investigation, which led to Mohad’s arrest through phone call records.
The First Information Report stated that Mohad and other suspects initially confessed to being part of an occult group that killed Hafsoh for ritual purposes. However, four co-accused Ahmed Abulwasiu, Sulaiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman, and AbdulRahman Jamiu were discharged and acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The case drew public attention across the state, highlighting growing concerns over ritual-related crimes targeting young women.