The family of Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year student at the Kwara State College of Education who was tragically murdered, has appealed to the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin to release her dismembered body for proper burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
This request was presented by the Kwara State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, who is also the lead prosecutor in the murder case involving five suspects. The request was made during the continuation of the trial on Monday.
Counsel for the first defendant, Abdulrahman Bello, Mr. Chukwudi Maduka, did not oppose the application. He expressed sympathy for the grieving family, despite the ongoing legal proceedings.
Abdulrahman Bello and four other individuals are standing trial for conspiracy and the murder of Hafsoh Lawal.
At Monday’s hearing, three additional witnesses testified before the court. These included two police officers and Dr. Olaleke Folaranmi, an anatomical pathologist from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
Key testimonies came from officers attached to the ‘C’ Division, Oja Oba, Ilorin, and the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID). They stated that the primary suspect had confessed to the crime and led investigators to his residence and a dumpsite in the Olunlade area of Ilorin, where parts of the victim’s dismembered body were recovered.
The investigation extended to the main refuse site near the Okolowo–Eyenkorin Expressway, where additional body parts were reportedly found.
“Abdulrahman Bello led officers to the initial dumpsite, but the body parts had already been removed by waste disposal personnel. The next day, with the help of a scavenger, we recovered additional remains, which the suspect identified as belonging to the victim,” a CID officer told the court.
The prosecution also presented a video in court showing the discovery of the body parts in the suspect’s apartment. The video and an accompanying certificate of compliance were admitted as evidence, despite objections from the defense, which argued the evidence did not meet the requirements of the state’s criminal justice law.
Sergeant Moses, another prosecution witness, testified that Hafsoh’s father reported her missing on February 11. He said the investigation led to the arrest of Abdulrahman Bello after phone records revealed he was the last person to contact her.
According to the sergeant, Bello confessed and even attempted to bribe him during transport to the police station.
A search of Bello’s home uncovered the victim’s belongings, blood-stained weapons, charms, and buckets filled with body parts soaked in gin.
Dr. Folaranmi confirmed through a postmortem examination that the remains were human. His report was accepted by the court as Exhibit P17.
Presiding Judge Hannah Ajayi described the defendants’ bail application as a distraction and assured the court that the case would be handled with urgency. The trial was adjourned until May 21, 2025, for continuation.
