Abdulrahman Bello, a self-proclaimed Islamic cleric, has admitted to dismembering the body of Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of Kwara State College of Education, after her sudden death in his house.
In a video recorded at a police station in Kwara State, Bello denied killing the student for ritual purposes but confessed to disposing of her remains in a public refuse dump.
“She Was My Girlfriend” – Bello
The 29-year-old suspect, dressed in a gold-colored jalabiya, narrated his version of events while kneeling and answering questions from unidentified voices, believed to be police officers.
According to him, he met Yetunde on Facebook, and they had been in a relationship before the tragic incident.
He claimed the student visited his home in the Olunlade area of Ilorin after attending an event and suddenly fell ill.
“She said she was hungry, so I went out to get her food. When I returned, I found her gasping for breath. She shockingly passed out shortly after,” he recounted.
Bello insisted that panic led him to make the gruesome decision to dismember her body instead of calling for help.
“I couldn’t cry out for help, so I dismembered her body and disposed of it at a public refuse dump. I was confused about what to do at that moment and couldn’t think of any better way. This is my first time; I have never done something like this before,” he added.
Speaking in Yoruba, Bello described himself as an ‘alfa’ (Islamic cleric) and claimed he was on the verge of gaining admission into Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete.
The police have yet to confirm whether his statements align with their ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, the tragic incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for justice for the slain student.
