Killer cleric: God destined death of Kwara final-year student

There was a mild drama at a magistrate’s court sitting in Kwara State,on Thursday, when Abdulrahman Mohammed Bello, suspected murderer of a final-year student of College of Education, Hafsah Lawal, exonerated his accomplices. Arraigned along with him were Ahmed Abdulwasiu, 41, Suleiman Muyideen, 28, Jamiu Uthman, 29 and Abdulrahmon Jamiu, 31. During the 26-minute trial, […]

There was a mild drama at a magistrate’s court sitting in Kwara State,on Thursday, when Abdulrahman Mohammed Bello, suspected murderer of a final-year student of College of Education, Hafsah Lawal, exonerated his accomplices.

Arraigned along with him were Ahmed Abdulwasiu, 41, Suleiman Muyideen, 28, Jamiu Uthman, 29 and Abdulrahmon Jamiu, 31.

During the 26-minute trial, no legal representation was announced for him but the remaining accused were represented by their counsels.

Issa Zakari, who appeared for the State, told the court that Legal Advice from the State Attorney General is out stating that, “All the suspects have a case to answer.”

“Charges have been served on them and we hereby request that the case be transferred to the State High Court for proper prosecution”, he told the court.

However, in a dramatic mood, the Principal Suspect, Abdulrahman Bello, raised up his hand and sought for the permission of the court to speak.

Magistrate S.B. Mohammed who presided over the case granted his request and asked him to go ahead.

Abdulrahman said: “I want to say something Ma, the remaining suspects don’t know anything about the crime that I committed. I committed the crime all alone and I hereby appeal to this court to release them to go freely.”

But the Magistrate further asked him to explain what really transpired on that day.

Answering the court, Abdulrahman continued: “When the deceased got to my House, she said she was hungry because she couldn’t wait to eat before coming to my house. I told her to cook but because of the hunger, I decided to go and get food that both of us ate together before we started romance and later had sex.

“But because God had destined that she would die that day, she died in the process. The only mistake I made that day was that, instead of me shouting for help, I was nervous and I decided to dismember her body. I then packed the parts and dumped them in a public dustbin where the police recovered some of them.

“The only part that was discovered in my house was her hands which I was yet to dispose of because I was afraid and ran out of the house since the day of the incident”.

When asked if this was his first time by the court, Abdulrahman said: “I have never done such a thing before, this was my first time, it was a spirit that entered me and immediately it departed my body, I realised that what I did was bad. Please allow the remaining suspects to go back home freely.”

In her ruling, Magistrate S.B. Mohammed disclosed that Legal Advice for the transfer of the case has been tendered, stressing that Abdulrahman can make such request when he gets to the High Court which has the jurisdiction to trial him along with his accomplices.

The case was adjourned Thursday March, 20th, 2025 for further hearing.