Islamic leaders call for diligent prosecution of Hafsoh Lawal’s killer

Islamic leaders and scholars under the auspices of Kwara State Council of Ilamah, in Ilorin have called for thorough investigation and prosecution of Abdulrahmah Bello, a suspected killer of Hafsoh Lawal.

The religious group made the call on Wednesday during a press conference, according to TVC News.

The murder suspect, a self-acclaimed cleric, allegedly murdered Miss Lawal, a student of Kwara State College of Education, for ritual purposes.

The deceased was initially reported missing by her father on 11 February at the Oja Oba police division in the state, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, the police spokesperson told Emirate radio in a Facebook live session.

According to the police, the deceased father reported that his daughter had attended the naming ceremony of her friend’s child on 10 February and did not return home.

After several calls were placed to her contact without response, her parents came to the police to file a complaint.

However, Mr Ejire-Adeyemi, said that , “based on credible intelligence, the police traced and picked up a suspect in the person of Abdulrahman Bello, a 25-year-old young man.”

“Initially, he denied, but upon questioning he admitted that he saw her and she came to his house and the incident happened.”

In the latest update on the matter, the spokesperson said they believe that the suspect was not alone, and they are still investigating to unravel the identities of his accomplices.

Prosecution

Speaking at the press conference, Muhammad Bashir-Saliu, the Chief Iman of Ilorin and head of the group condemned the act and urged the police to diligently prosecute the suspect.

“While we thanked the Kwara State police for the effort made so far, our appeal to the Command is to be thorough in its investigation,” he said.

“And anyone found to be involved in the criminal act should be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.”

ALSO READ: Ilorin: Confronting unIslamic rituals and restoring morality, By Basheer Luqman Olarewaju

Mr Bashir-Saliu noted that the Islamic religion “forbids” the killing of another.

‘Femicide’

DOHS Care Foundation, an organisation keeping tab on the numbers of femicide in Nigeria, said it has recorded at least 25 women and girls killed based on their gender in 2025.

According to the group, the figures are just the reported incidents.
For instance, One Hajara, 50-year-old, was accused of practicing witchcraft and bringing misfortune to her community in Borno State.

“She was buried immediately after her murder, according to Islamic rites, but the police got pictures of cuts on her body after arresting some of the perpetrators,” the organisation said in a post on X.

Also in February, Deborah, a 16 year old girl, was murdered by her father in Calabar, Cross River State, after allegations of witchcraft.

“The father claimed that she could transform into a snake before killing her, despite knowing that she had Down Syndrome,” another post reads.