During yesterday’s resumed hearing at Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, police witnesses presented human body parts as evidence in the trial of AbdulRahman Bello, the Facebook killer-lover accused of murdering Hafsoh Lawal. All five suspects attended, with four testifying. The victim’s father, Ibrahim Lawal, was emotionally overwhelmed when he identified parts of his daughter’s hands among the exhibits.
During the court proceedings, many attendees were moved to tears as human body parts were displayed, and an offensive odor from the evidence in a plastic container filled the courtroom. Justice Hannah Ajayi paused to pray for the victim’s father, Ibrahim Lawal, hoping he finds strength and justice. Recall that AbdulRahman Bello, an Ilorin-based cleric, is accused of murdering and dismembering his lover, Hafsoh Lawal, in February 2025, allegedly for ritual purposes.
In court, Ibrahim Lawal, the deceased’s father, emotionally recounted the events leading to her death. He explained that Hafsoh had planned a naming ceremony with friends, but on the day, she left home around 1:00 pm, claiming she was going to attend the event. Later, her mother noticed she was missing and learned from friends that Hafsoh had received a call to attend to someone, leaving without eating her meal.
Hafsoh Lawal’s father recounted the harrowing search for his daughter after she went missing. He explained that he called her repeatedly, but her phone was either ringing or switched off. Despite searching all night, she did not return, leading the family to suspect she was afraid to come home. The next day, his father advised him to involve the police, and they proceeded to track her call logs. By February 13, 2025, police confirmed they had located her and began investigations.
On February 14, police informed him that AbdulRahman Bello, the suspect, had been arrested and confessed to killing Hafsoh. During the police visit, the suspect revealed he had dismembered her body. The family was shown her body parts, including her hands, which the father identified as his daughter’s. He also recognized her slippers, beads, and phones among the belongings recovered from Bello’s house. The father’s emotional account highlights the pain of losing his daughter and the gruesome details uncovered during the investigation.
Hafsat’s close friend, Falilat Abdul Hafiz, testified before the court, providing context to the case. During the hearing, two police officers presented various items recovered during the investigation as evidence. These included a bloodstained cutlass, axe, knife, a keg containing human blood, a wooden box with black soap, slippers, earrings, multiple phones (Tecno, iPhone, Itel), a bag of charms and animal horns, and a notebook detailing charms. Notably, two human hands believed to belong to Hafsat, recovered from a dumpsite, and her broken beads were also presented as evidence.
Police witnesses described how the items were collected and registered. Yusuf Dauda, a CID officer, stated he documented the evidence on February 16, 2025, after police brought the items in connection with charges of conspiracy, homicide, and illegal possession of human parts. During cross-examination, the first defendant’s lawyer challenged the officer’s knowledge of the recovery location, indicating he was not present at the scene.
Another officer, Inspector Mohammed, confirmed that the human remains were stored at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital for preservation and later presented as exhibits. The court adjourned the case to May 12, 2025.