M allam Ibrahim Lawal is a man shattered by loss, his voice heavy with both grief and rage. His daughter, Hafsat Lawal, a 24-year-old final-year Chemistry and Integrated Science student at Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, was brutally murdered on February 10—allegedly for ritual purposes. Now, her father is demanding answers and justice.
“She was murdered for rituals,” Lawal told The Punch’s Tunde Oyekola, accusing Abdulrahman Bello, a 29-year-old self-proclaimed Islamic cleric currently in police custody. “We want justice, or we’ll get it ourselves.”
A Mysterious Disappearance and a Shocking Confession
Hafsat, who had recently begun teaching while awaiting her NYSC posting, had gone out that afternoon for a friend’s naming ceremony. “She got a call, left her food. Thirty minutes later, I called—no response,” her father recounted. By 6:30 PM, her phones were off.
After waiting the required 24 hours, Lawal and his brother reported her missing at C Division, Oja-Oba Police Station. Investigators traced her last known location to Bello, an Islamic cleric from Olunlade and the son of a late Imam. “He called her five times that day,” Lawal revealed.
Bello initially denied involvement, but by midnight, under police interrogation, he cracked—leading officers to Hafsat’s dismembered body.
Horrifying Evidence and Rising Outrage
The details are grim. “Her slippers, her hennaed hand—severed,” Lawal said, his voice breaking. Inside Bello’s hideout, police discovered fetish objects—calabashes, animal horns, black soap, and a cutlass, all believed to be used for rituals.
Bello wasn’t acting alone. Four alleged accomplices—Ahmed AbdulWasiu, Suleiman Muhyideen, Jamiu Uthman, and AbdulRahman Jamiu—have been arrested, all remanded in custody until March 6 by a magistrate’s court.
Hafsat’s mother collapsed upon hearing the news. The family hasn’t slept since.
A Father’s Call for Justice
Lawal refuses to accept the tragedy in silence. “This country is dangerous,” he declared, criticizing what he sees as a slow justice system. “The police must prosecute this case properly—from Kwara to Abuja—or we will take matters into our own hands.”
He is also appealing to the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, urging him to crack down on ritual killings in the city. “Ilorin is an Islamic city—justice cannot fail.”
Public outcry has followed, with social media posts amplifying his demand for justice. @SaharaReporters highlighted the arrests, while users like @MuftiIlorin are calling for the death penalty, warning that anything less would encourage more atrocities.
Faith, Grief, and a Father’s Vow
Despite his anguish, Lawal’s faith remains unshaken. “Allah gives and takes—Prophets faced worse,” he said.
But Hafsat’s death is more than a personal tragedy—it has become a rallying cry. Will justice be served, or will a father’s vengeance take its place? The coming weeks may hold the answer.
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