The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin has sustained the death sentence imposed on self-acclaimed Islamic cleric Abdulrahman Bello for the murder of his lover, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.
Arewa PUNCH recalls that Lawal was murdered on February 10, 2025, at the Olunlade area of Ilorin in a case that attracted widespread public outrage across Kwara State and beyond.
Bello and four others were initially arraigned on charges bordering on conspiracy, murder, unlawful removal and possession of human parts and blood, while Bello alone also faced a rape charge, of which he was eventually acquitted by the trial court.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday by a three-member panel led by Justice Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole, the appellate court dismissed Bello’s appeal, holding that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that he murdered the victim and was unlawfully in possession of human parts.
The appellate court consequently upheld the judgment of the Kwara State High Court, which sentenced Bello to death by hanging and imposed an additional 10-year jail term over his conviction for unlawful possession of human parts.
The court held that there was no merit in the appeal and consequently affirmed both the conviction and the sentence imposed by the trial court.
According to the appellate court, the trial court properly evaluated the evidence before it and rightly concluded that the prosecution established the offences beyond reasonable doubt.
The prosecution at the appellate court was led by the Kwara State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, alongside the Chief State Counsel, Issa Zakari, and Assistant Chief State Counsel, B.L. Abdulsalam.
The ministry described the judgment as another significant milestone in the state’s criminal justice administration.
“The judgment underscores the commitment of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice and the judiciary to ensuring that criminal cases are determined strictly in accordance with the law and the evidence presented before the courts,” the statement read.
“It also reaffirms the principle that persons found guilty of grave offences, after a fair trial, will be held accountable under the law.”
The ministry further stated that the appellate court’s decision would strengthen public confidence in the justice system.
“The affirmation of the conviction and sentence represents another milestone in the administration of criminal justice and reinforces public confidence in the rule of law and the appellate process.”
