Foul odours enveloped the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin yesterday as police prosecution witnesses presented human parts as exhibits in the trial of AbdulRahman Bello, popularly referred to as the “Facebook killer-lover”.
Bello, an Ilorin-based cleric, is accused of murdering his lover, Hafsoh Lawal, in February and dismembering her body. At the start of the hearing before Justice Hannah Ajayi, two police witnesses displayed the recovered human parts, leading to an emotional outburst in court. Ibrahim Lawal, the father of the deceased, broke down in tears when he was asked to identify parts of his daughter’s hands presented as exhibits.
Other items admitted as exhibit included a cutlass, a bloodstained centre table, an axe, a knife, a keg containing human blood, a wooden box with black soap, a pair of lady’s slippers, two earrings, phones, a bag containing charms, animal horns, and an exercise book with an account of charms. The deceased’s broken beads and her severed hands, recovered at a dumpsite, were also tendered.
The courtroom atmosphere became tense as family members and litigants broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the stench and the gravity of the evidence.
Four out of the 16 witnesses scheduled to testify appeared in court alongside the five accused persons. One police witness, Yusuf Dauda, who is the custodian of the exhibits at the State’s Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), testified that he documented the items brought by Inspector Ayodele Azeez.
During cross-examination, Chukwudi Maduka, counsel to the first defendant, questioned Dauda’s knowledge of where the items were recovered. Inspector Mohammed of the SCID confirmed that human parts were recovered from Bello’s residence and a dumpsite and were deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for preservation.
The deceased’s father also recounted the harrowing events leading to Hafsoh’s disappearance and the eventual discovery of her remains. Hafsoh’s closest friend, Falilat Abdul Hafiz, also provided her testimony. Justice Hannah Ajayi adjourned the case for further hearing until Monday, May 12, 2025.
