A Kwara State High Court, situated in Ilorin, issued an order on Monday directing the release of the remains of Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year female student from the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin. The court’s decision allows her family to proceed with her burial according to Islamic customs.
The directive, delivered by Justice Hannah Ajayi, presiding over the murder trial, followed a request from the victim’s family. They sought the court’s permission to receive the dismembered body for a proper Islamic burial.
At the court hearing on Monday, Senior Sulyman, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who leads the prosecution against five suspects, petitioned the court to release the deceased’s body to her family. His aim was to facilitate a respectful burial.
Sulyman stated, “I want to apply and pray the court to humbly order the release of the remains of Hafsoh Lawal who was murdered in cold blood by the defendants for proper burial as a Muslim so that her soul will have rest.”
Mr. Chukwudi Maduka, the defense counsel representing Abdulrahman Bello, the first defendant, raised no objections to the request. He expressed sympathy for the family, saying, “I sympathise with the family of the deceased who lost their beloved daughter. I don’t have any objection to the request made by the Honourable Attorney General despite the ongoing prosecution of the case.”
Consequently, Justice Ajayi instructed the state police command to hand over the dismembered body to the parents for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
Abdulrahman Bello and four others are currently facing trial on charges of conspiracy and murder.
The other defendants are Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman, and AbdulRahman Jamiu.
They are accused of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, and illegal possession of human remains. Bello is also specifically accused of raping the deceased.
During the resumed hearing on Monday, three additional witnesses, including two police officers and Dr. Olaleke Folaranmi, an anatomic pathologist from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, presented their testimonies.
Key police witnesses, including officers from the Police ‘C’ Division in Oja Oba, Ilorin, and the State Criminal Investigation Department, testified that the prime suspect had confessed to the crime verbally.
According to the officers, “the suspect, Abdulrahman Bello led investigators to his apartment and later to a dumpsite at Olunlade area of Ilorin, the state capital to recover parts of the dismembered body of the deceased, Hafsoh Lawal.”
The police also mentioned that the investigation led to a main dumpsite near the Okolowo–Eyenkorin expressway, where body parts were allegedly found.
“Policemen were led to the dump site by Abdulrahman Bello to recover the human parts, but they had already been 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”, an ASP of the state CID testified.
The prosecution also presented a video in court, showing the discovery of Hafsoh’s dismembered body parts inside Bello’s apartment.
The video, along with a certificate of compliance, was admitted as evidence, despite objections from the defense, who argued non-compliance with the state’s criminal justice law.
Sergeant Moses, another officer, informed the court that the victim’s father had reported her missing on February 11. He added that Bello was apprehended after phone records linked him as the last person to contact her.
He claimed Bello confessed and attempted to bribe the officer while en route 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,” he revealed.
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