Kwara cleric arrested for murdering, dismembering missing final-year student for rituals (Photo)

An Islamic cleric in Ilorin, Abdulrahman Mohad Ballo, has been arrested for the murder of Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, a final-year student at Kwara State College of Education, for ritual purposes.

It was learned that the suspect lured Yetunde after connecting with her on Facebook and obtaining her phone number.

He later killed and dismembered her body, for ritual practices.

The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that Ballo had been taken into custody.  

Yetunde was last seen on Monday, February 10, while attending a naming ceremony.

She received a phone call, stepped aside to answer it, and then left, never to be seen again.

“Since then, we’ve been searching for her everywhere, but no one knew her whereabouts,” a source said.

On Tuesday, February 11, evening, Yetunde’s family reported her missing at the Oja-Oba Police Station in Ilorin.  

Using her phone records, police traced her last call to a suspect residing in the Offa Garage district.

When questioned, the suspect initially denied any knowledge of her whereabouts.  

However, during a search of his home, he admitted that she had visited but claimed she died from an asthma attack.

Further investigation led to the gruesome discovery of Yetunde’s dismembered body, concealed in a bowl, along with tools believed to have been used in the crime.

Sources suggest this may not be the suspect’s first offense, as investigators found suspicious implements in his room, raising concerns about a possible pattern of ritual killings.  

The Kwara State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the incident.

“The Kwara State Police Command is aware of the gruesome killing of one Miss Yetunde H. Lawal,” Adeyemi said.

“Immediately, detectives swung into action, tracked her number, and arrested a suspect. Exhibits were recovered, and the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

“Further updates will be communicated as the investigation progresses.”

At the same time, Nigerians have taken to the cleric’s Facebook page, where he typically shares religious messages, to criticize him.