Four witnesses, including two policemen and relatives of the murdered Hafsoh Lawal, appeared in court on Wednesday to give evidence before Justice Hannah Ajayi sitting at the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin.
AbdulRahman Bello and four other suspects had been charged before the court but pleaded not guilty to all the counts in the murder case.
The suspects were first arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court before being transferred to the High Court, where a proper hearing in the murder case finally took off on Wednesday.
The Prime suspect, AbdulRahman Bello, and four other accomplices, including Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhydeen, Jamiu Uthman, and AbdulRahman Jamiu, were arraigned for the murder of 24-year-old Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year female student of Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.
They were alleged to have committed criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and illegal possession of human parts while the first defendant, AbdulRahman Bello was solely accused of raping the deceased.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Assistant Superintendent of Police Yusuf Dauda and Inspector Muhammed Kamaldeen tendered items recovered from the suspects including two human palms and other body parts, a container of human blood, an axe, a cutlass, a table, a wooden box of black soap, four mobile phones, a sack of charms and a notebook of charms, all admitted as exhibits by the court.
The father of the late Hafsoh Lawal, Mr Ibrahim Lawal, narrated how his daughter went missing and her mobile phone was tracked before the prime suspect, AbdulRahman Bello, was arrested.
In an emotion-laden voice, he recounted how the prime suspect, AbdulRahman Bello, at the Oja Oba police station, Ilorin, allegedly confessed to killing and dismembering the body of his daughter.
The late Hafsoh’s friend, Falilat Abdulafeez, also narrated how Hafsoh left the naming ceremony after receiving a call without telling her friends her destination.
The prosecution team was led by the Kwara State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Senior Ibrahim.
In her ruling, Justice Hannah Ajayi adjourned the case till next Monday, May 12, 2025, for further hearing.