A tragic incident has rocked Kwara State as a missing final-year student of Kwara State College of Education, Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, was found dead in the home of an Islamic cleric who allegedly lured her through Facebook.
Yetunde, a promising young woman, was reportedly killed for ritual purposes in Ilorin after she was tricked into visiting the cleric, identified as Abdulrahman Mohad Ballo, whom she had met on the social media platform.
According to reports, the Kwara State Police Command apprehended a suspect in connection with her disappearance and murder. The suspect is said to be the son of a well-known Muslim cleric in the Isalekoto community and is currently being held at the police command headquarters in Ilorin.
The events leading to Yetunde’s disappearance began when she attended a naming ceremony. While there, she reportedly received a phone call from a friend. She left her meal to answer the call but never returned. As hours passed, concerns grew among her friends and family, prompting an extensive search for her whereabouts.
Her distressed father, Ibrahim Lawal, reported her missing on Tuesday at the Oja-Oba Police Division in Ilorin, hoping for swift action from the authorities.
Following the report, the police requested her phone number and used tracking technology to trace the last call she received. The investigation led officers to a suspect residing in the Ofa Garage area of Ilorin, whose family home is in Isalekoto.
Upon his arrest, the suspect initially denied any knowledge of Hafsoh’s whereabouts. However, when officers searched his residence, he eventually confessed that she had visited him but claimed she had suffered an asthma attack and died at his home.
Further investigation into the case uncovered a gruesome truth—Hafsoh’s body had been brutally dismembered. The police found parts of her remains hidden in a bowl, along with tools allegedly used to mutilate her body, suggesting a ritualistic killing.
Authorities believe the suspect had been in contact with Hafsoh through Facebook, where he gained her trust, obtained her phone number, and lured her to his home under false pretenses.
As investigations continue, the suspect remains in custody at the Kwara State Police Headquarters, while the public and Hafsoh’s family demand justice for the horrifying crime.