An Islamic cleric named Abdulrahman Mohad Ballo has been arrested in Ilorin for allegedly murdering a final-year student from Kwara State College of Education, Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, for ritualistic reasons.
Reports say that Ballo lured Yetunde after connecting with her on Facebook and getting her phone number.
The incident took place on Monday, February 10, 2025.
Hafsoh was at a naming ceremony when she answered a call from a friend. She left her food behind to take the call and then vanished.
Her family and friends searched for her but couldn’t find her, so they reported her missing to the police at the Oja Oba Station in Ilorin the next day.
Police investigators tracked her last phone call using her call records, which led them to Ballo, who lives in the Offa Garage area of Ilorin, although his family home is in Isalekoto.
Ballo denied having anything to do with Hafsoh’s disappearance.
However, when police searched his home, they made a shocking discovery: Hafsoh’s dismembered body was found in a bowl, along with tools believed to have been used in the crime.
Ballo claimed that Hafsoh had died from an asthma attack after visiting him.
Yet, the evidence found at his place, including a table with dismemberment tools, indicates this might not be his first offense.
The suspect is currently in police custody at the Kwara State Police Headquarters and is reported to be the son of a well-known Islamic cleric from Isalekoto, who recently passed away.
