A self-proclaimed Islamic cleric, Abdulrahman Mohad Ballo, has been arrested in Ilorin for allegedly murdering a final-year student of Kwara State College of Education, Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, for ritual purposes.
Ballo reportedly lured Hafsoh after connecting with her on Facebook and obtaining her phone number. The incident occurred on Monday, February 10, 2025.
Disappearance and Investigation
Hafsoh was attending a naming ceremony when she received a phone call from a friend. She stepped away to answer the call but never returned. After frantic searches by her family and friends, a missing person report was filed at the Oja Oba Police Station in Ilorin the next day.
Using her phone records, police traced her last call to Ballo, who lives in the Offa Garage area of Ilorin, though his family house is in Isalekoto. Initially, he denied any involvement in her disappearance. However, a search of his residence led to a gruesome discovery—Hafsoh’s dismembered body was found in a bowl, along with tools believed to have been used in the act.
Suspect’s Defense and Ongoing Investigation
Ballo claimed Hafsoh had died from an asthma attack while visiting his home, but the evidence at the scene—including a table with dismemberment tools—suggested otherwise. Authorities believe this may not have been his first crime.
The suspect, now in police custody at the Kwara State Police Headquarters, is said to be the son of a well-known Islamic cleric from Isalekoto who recently passed away.
Efforts to reach the Kwara State Police spokesperson for a statement were unsuccessful, as her phone remained unreachable, and she had not responded to messages at the time of filing this report.
