ILORIN, Kwara State — The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin has upheld the death sentence imposed on Abdulrahman Bello for the murder of Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a student of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.
The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by a panel led by Justice Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole, dismissed Bello's appeal, affirming the judgment of the trial court which sentenced him to death by hanging.
According to the court, the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Bello was guilty of the offences of murder and unlawful possession of human parts.
The justices held that the trial court properly evaluated the evidence presented during the trial before arriving at its verdict.
The Court of Appeal therefore found no merit in the appeal and affirmed both the conviction and the sentence imposed by the lower court.
The prosecution team was led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Kwara State, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, alongside Chief State Counsel Issa Zakari and Assistant Chief State Counsel B. L. Abdulsalam of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice.
Bello was convicted for the gruesome killing of his girlfriend, Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a case that drew widespread public attention after he was accused of murdering and dismembering her body.
Legal observers have described the appellate court's decision as a significant affirmation of the criminal justice process in Kwara State, noting that it underscores the judiciary's commitment to ensuring accountability for serious offences based on the evidence presented before the courts.
Despite the ruling, Bello still retains any further rights of appeal available to him under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other applicable laws.
The judgment brings renewed attention to the importance of justice for victims of violent crimes while reinforcing the principle that convictions must be based on credible evidence and due process.
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