BREAKING: Court of Appeal dismisses Hafsoh killer Abdulrahman Bello’s appeal, upholds death penalty

By Kayode Adeoti

The Court of Appeal, Ilorin Judicial Division, has affirmed the judgment of the trial court sentencing Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging following his conviction for the offence of the murder of Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a student at the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.

In a unanimous decision, the appellate court, presided over by Honourable Justice Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole, dismissed the appeal filed by Abdulrahman Bello, holding that the prosecution proved the case of murder and unlawful possession of human parts against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt and that the trial court properly evaluated the evidence before reaching its verdict.

The Court found no merit in the appeal and consequently upheld both the conviction and the sentence imposed by the trial court.

The prosecution team comprised the Attorney General of Kwara State, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman; Issa Zakari, Chief State Counsel; and B.L. Abdulsalam, an Assistant Chief State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice.

Abdulrahman Bello was alleged to have gruesomely murdered his girlfriend, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, and dismembered her body for money rituals.

The judgment underscores the commitment of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice and the judiciary to ensuring that criminal cases are determined strictly in accordance with the law and the evidence presented before the courts. It also reaffirms the principle that persons found guilty of grave offences, after a fair trial, will be held accountable under the law.

The affirmation of the conviction and sentence represents another milestone in the administration of criminal justice and reinforces public confidence in the rule of law and the appellate process.

Members of the public are reminded that, under the Constitution and the applicable laws of Nigeria, the convict retains any further rights of appeal available under the law.