A final year student of Kwara State College of Education Ilorin, m Hafsat Yetunde Lawal, was killed and her body mutilated by cleric in Kwara state for ritual purposes.
The murder was allegedly carried out by a self-acclaimed cleric, AbdulRahman Bello, the Kwara State Police Command said.
The deceased went missing on February 10, 2025 after attending a naming ceremony
Confirming the incident on Saturday, Police PRO, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi (SP), described it as ‘gruesome’.
“On 11/O2/2025 at about 18:00 hours, a case of missing person was reported at C Division Oja-Oba by her father, Mr Ibrahim A. Lawal.
“Immediately, the police detectives swung into action, tracked her number and arrested a suspect. The case was transferred yesterday (Friday) to the SCID for discreet investigations.
“Further updates will be communicated as investigations progresses.”
Sources said Hafsat was eating during the event when she received a phone call and left the programme only to be declared missing thereafter.
The suspect was said to have met her through Facebook, where he obtained her phone number through pretense and invited her over.
Her parents reported her missing to the Oja Oba Police Station in Ilorin.
The police used her phone number to track her last call which was traced to the suspect at Offa Garage although his family house is in Isalekoto.
The source explained that, “The suspect was arrested, but initially denied knowledge of the lady’s whereabouts. However, when the police searched his house, he confessed that the lady came around but died from an asthma attack.
“His dismembered body hidden in a bowl along with the tools used to carry out the act was later found in his house
“Other evidence found in the suspect’s house suggests this may not be his first time as a table in his room equipped with tools used to dismember bodies was also discovered.”
