By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The family of the murdered final year female student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, Hafsoh Lawal, has requested the State High Court sitting in Ilorin to release the dismembered body of the deceased for proper burial according to Islamic rites.
The request was made on Monday by the Kwara State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, who is the prosecution team lead in the murder case of Hafsoh Lawal against five suspected persons, during the continuation of hearing on the matter.
The defence counsel, Mr. Chukwudi Maduka, who represents the first defendant, Abdulrahman Bello, raised no objections to the request, saying that he sympathised with the family despite the ongoing prosecution.
Abdulrahman Bello and four others are standing trial on the charges of conspiracy and murder of Hafsoh Lawal.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, three more witnesses, including two police officers and an anatomic pathologist from University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, 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, adding that the suspect led investigators to his apartment and later to a dump site at Olunlade area of the state capital to recover parts of the dismembered body of the deceased.
The police men also said that the investigation led to the dump site located near the Okolowo–Eyenkorin expressway where parts of the body were allegedly recovered.
“Police men were led to the dump site by Abdulrahman Bello to recover the human parts but was already evacuated already 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 the prime suspect, Abdulrahman Bello.
The video, alongside 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 missing on February 11, adding that Abdulrahman Bello was arrested after phone records showed that he was the last person to contact her.
He said that he 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.
A pathologist from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Olaleke Folaranmi, confirmed through a postmortem that the remains were human parts. 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 until May 21, 2025 for continuation of hearing.