The Kwara State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ibrahim Sulyman, has urged the state High Court hearing the case of the murdered final-year student of the State College of Education, Hafsoh Lawal, to release the dismembered body of the deceased for proper burial according to Islamic rites.

The Attorney-General, who is the prosecution team lead in the case against the five suspected individuals, disclosed this on behalf of the family of the deceased yesterday during the continuation of hearing on the matter.

However, the defense counsel for the first defendant (Abdulrahman Bello), Mr. Chukwudi Maduka, did not object, expressing sympathy with the family.

At the resumed hearing, another three witnesses, including two policemen and an anatomic pathologist from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Olaleke Folaranmi, testified before the court.

Key police witnesses, including officers from the Police ‘C’ Division, Oja Oba, Ilorin, and the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), testified that the prime suspect had orally confessed to the crime.

They informed the court that the suspect led investigators to his apartment and later to a dumpsite at Olunlade in Ilorin to recover parts of the dismembered body.

They also mentioned that the investigation led to the main dumpsite near the Okolowo–Eyenkorin expressway, where parts of the body were recovered.

“Policemen were led to the dump site by Abdulrahman Bello to recover the human parts, but they had already been evacuated by the refuse disposal team to Okolowo–Eyenkorin expressway. The next day, we met with a scavenger who helped the police team recover the parts. Abdulrahman later identified the human parts as those of the deceased,” the ASP of the state CID testified.

The prosecution team also played a video showing the discovery of Hafsoh’s dismembered body parts in the apartment of Mallam Abdulrahman Bello.

The video and a certificate of compliance were admitted as evidence despite objections from the defense counsel, who argued that it was not in form with the state’s criminal justice law.

Another officer, Sgt. Moses, told the court that the victim’s father reported her missing on February 11, adding that Abdulrahman was arrested after phone records showed that he was the last person to contact her.

He said that Abdulrahman confessed and attempted to bribe the police officer while returning to the police station.

A search of his residence reportedly uncovered Hafsoh’s belongings, blood-stained weapons, charms, and buckets containing human body parts soaked in gin.

A pathologist from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Olaleke Folaranmi, confirmed that the remains were human parts. His report was also admitted as Exhibit P17.

The presiding judge, Justice Hannah Ajayi, who described the bail application for the suspects as a distraction, promised to give an accelerated hearing to the case and adjourned until May 21, 2025.