The trial of the five suspects accused of murdering Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student at the College of Education Ilorin, has begun in a Kwara High Court. The courtroom was filled with emotion as police witnesses presented dismembered body parts of the deceased as evidence. The prime suspect, AbdulRahman Bello, an Ilorin-based cleric, allegedly killed and dismembered Lawal in February 2025.
During the hearing, police witnesses displayed recovered human parts, leading to an emotional outburst from the audience. Ibrahim Lawal, the victim’s father, broke down in tears when asked to identify parts of his daughter’s hands. The court admitted several exhibits, including a cutlass, a blood-stained table, an axe, a knife, a keg containing human blood, a wooden box with black soap, lady’s slippers, earrings, multiple phones, a bag containing charms, and an exercise book detailing accounts of charms.
The prosecution presented evidence recovered from Bello’s residence and a dumpsite, which had been preserved at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. Witnesses, including the victim’s father and her closest friend, recounted the events leading to Lawal’s disappearance and the subsequent discovery of her remains.
