An Ilorin High Court was gripped with emotion on Wednesday as the father of late Hafsoh Lawal broke down in tears upon identifying his daughter’s severed hands during a murder trial involving AbdulRahman Bello, the suspected “Facebook killer-lover.”
The court, presided over by Justice Hannah Ajayi, became overwhelmed with the stench of decomposing human parts tendered as exhibits by the prosecution in the ongoing murder case against Bello, an Ilorin-based Islamic cleric accused of killing and dismembering Lawal in February 2025.
The police prosecution team presented the remains, which included Hafsoh’s hands recovered from a dumpsite, before calling on her father, Ibrahim Lawal, to identify the body parts.
The emotional weight of the moment broke the grieving father, leading to an outburst of sorrow in the courtroom.
Other grim exhibits displayed before the court included a bloodstained centre table, a cutlass, axe, knife, keg containing suspected human blood, animal horns, charms, a wooden box with black soap, and an exercise book with records of ritual practices.
Also tendered were Hafsoh’s earrings, broken beads, slippers, and mobile phones.
The emotional atmosphere caused distress among court attendees, with some family members and observers in tears.
Four prosecution witnesses appeared in court, including Yusuf Dauda, an officer at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), who confirmed his role in documenting the items submitted by Inspector Ayodele Azeez.
Testifying under cross-examination, Dauda admitted he was not present at the recovery site of the exhibits.
Another officer, Inspector Mohammed, corroborated that the human parts were retrieved from Bello’s residence and a dumpsite before being deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for preservation.
In his testimony, the bereaved father recounted the harrowing days leading to his daughter’s disappearance and the shocking discovery of her remains.
The deceased’s close friend, Falilat Abdul Hafiz, also gave evidence in court.
Justice Ajayi adjourned the matter to Monday, May 12, for continuation of trial. Bello and four other co-defendants remain in custody as proceedings continue in what has become one of Kwara State’s most chilling murder cases.
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