Yetunde Lawal: Cleric, accomplices remanded for ritual killing in Kwara

The Kwara State Magistrates’ Court in Ilorin has ordered the remand of a 29-year-old self-proclaimed Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Mohammed Bello, and four others over the gruesome murder of Lawal Hafsah Yetunde, a final-year student at Kwara State College of Education.

IDOMA VOICE reports that Yetunde, 24, was allegedly killed and dismembered by Bello and his accomplices for ritual purposes, according to the police First Information Report (FIR).

The suspects, identified as Ahmed Abulwasiu, Sulaiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman, and Abdulrahman Jamiu, are all residents of Ilorin and Malete.

Prosecutor Matthew Ologbonsaye informed the court that the suspects belong to the same occult group and confessed to robbing and murdering the victim for ritual purposes.

The charges against them include criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, armed robbery, and possession of human parts.

Due to jurisdictional limitations, Magistrate Sanusi B. Mohamed did not take the defendants’ plea but ordered their remand at the Oke Kura Custodial Centre.

“The defendants are to be remanded in Oke Kura Custodial Centre. The case is adjourned till March 6, 2025,” Magistrate Mohamed ruled.

The accused had no legal representation during their arraignment. Meanwhile, the tragic incident has sparked outrage in the community, with demands for swift justice for the deceased student.