Family of the murdered final year female student of Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, Kwara State, Hafsoh Lawal, on Monday requested the state High Court sitting in Ilorin to release the dismembered body of the deceased to them for proper burial according to Islamic rites.
Kwara State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Ibrahim Sulyman, who leads the prosecution team in the murder case made the request during the continuation of hearing on the matter on Monday.
The defence counsel, Mr. Chukwudi Maduka, representing the first prime suspect, AbdulRahman Bello, did not object to the request, saying that he sympathised with the family.
Bello and four others, including Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman and AbdulRahman Jamiu are standing trial on the charges of conspiracy and murder of Hafsoh.
At the resumed hearing of the celebrated murder case, three more witnesses including two police officers and an anatomic pathologist from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Dr. Olaleke Folaranmi testified before the court.
Key police witnesses, including officers from the Police ‘C’ Division, Oja – Oba, Ilorin and the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), testified that the prime suspect had orally confessed to the crime.
The officers said that the suspect led investigators to his apartment and later to a dump site at Olunlade area of Ilorin metropolis to recover the parts of the dismembered body of Hafsoh.
The policemen also said that the investigation led them to the maim dump site located near the Okolowo–Eyenkorin expressway where the parts of the body were allegedly recovered.
“Policemen were led to the dump site by Abdulrahman Bello to recover the human parts but was already evacuated by the refuse disposal people to Okolowo- Eyenkorin expressway. The next day, we met with a scavenger who helped the police team to recover the parts. AbdulRahman later identified the human parts as that of the deceased”, ASP of the state CID testified.
The prosecution team also played a video in court showing the discovery of Hafsoh’s dismembered body parts inside the apartment of Bello.
The video, along with a certificate of compliance, was later admitted as evidence, despite objections from defence counsel who argued that it did not comply with the state’s Criminal Justice Law.
Another officer, Sergeant Moses, told the court that the victim’s father had reported her daughter missing on February 11, 2025, adding that Bello was arrested after phone records showed that he was the last person to contact her.
Moses said that the defendant allegedly confessed, and attempted to bribe the police officer to keep quiet while on the way to the police station
A search of his residence reportedly uncovered Hafsoh’s belongings, blood-stained weapons, charms, and buckets containing human body parts soaked in gin.
The pathologist, Dr. Folaranmi, confirmed through a post mortem that the remains were human parts and his report was admitted as Exhibit P17.
The presiding judge, Justice Hannah Ajayi, who described bail application for the suspects as distraction, promised to give accelerated hearing to the case and adjourned proceedings to May 21, 2025 for continuation of hearing.
