A final-year student at Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, has been found dead, and an Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Mohad Ballo, is in police custody in connection with the alleged ritual killing.
Yetunde was last seen on Monday, 10th February 2025, after leaving a naming ceremony to answer a phone call. Her family reported her missing the following day. Police traced her last call to a suspect residing in the Offa Garage area of Ilorin.
Initially, the suspect denied any knowledge of Yetunde’s whereabouts. However, a search of his residence uncovered her dismembered body hidden in a container, along with instruments suggesting a ritual killing. He then claimed she had died of an asthma attack while visiting him.
The Kwara State Police Command, through its PPRO, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the arrest and the gruesome nature of the crime, stating: “The Kwara State Police Command is aware of the gruesome killing of one Miss Yetunde H. Lawal. On February 11, 2025, at about 1800 hours, a case of a missing person was reported at C Division Oja-Oba by her father, Mr. Ibrahim A. Lawal.
“Immediately, detectives swung into action, tracked her number, and arrested a suspect. Exhibits were recovered, and the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation. Further updates will be communicated as the investigation progresses.”
Sources suggest this may not be the suspect’s first such crime, as other concerning items were found in his residence.
The suspect reportedly connected with Yetunde on Facebook before the incident.
Following the news, members of the public have expressed their outrage on the suspect’s Facebook page, where he previously shared religious content.
