Kwara Court Sentences Islamic Cleric to Death for Murder of Facebook Lover

ByEditor

Jul 31, 2025 #Abdulrahman Mohad, #Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde

Malik Yahya/

A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Mohad, to death by hanging for the ritual killing of a young woman he met on Facebook.

The victim, Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, was a final-year student at the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.

Justice Hannah Ajayi delivered the judgment today, declaring Mohad, who is also known as Mohammed A. Bello, guilty of the murder which occurred in February 2024.

The case drew widespread attention due to the shocking circumstances surrounding Hafsoh’s death and the role of social media in their relationship.

According to the prosecution, Hafsoh had gone missing shortly after attending a naming ceremony in Ilorin. Investigators traced her last phone conversation to Mohad, leading to his arrest.

During police interrogation, he confessed to killing the 23-year-old for ritual purposes. In a recorded statement presented to the court, he admitted: “I am the only one that killed her. These other people were not there.”

Mohad’s confession led to the arrest of four other suspects: 41-year-old Ahmed Abulwasiu, 28-year-old Sulaiman Muhydeen, 29-year-old Jamiu Uthman, and 31-year-old AbdulRahman Jamiu. However, they were all discharged and acquitted by the court due to insufficient evidence linking them to the crime.