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Islamic Cleric Arrested for Alleged Ritual Killing of Missing Final-Year Kwara Student
An Islamic cleric in Ilorin, Abdulrahman Mohad Ballo, has been arrested for allegedly murdering Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, a final-year student of Kwara State College of Education, for ritual purposes.
Reports indicate that Ballo lured Yetunde after connecting with her on Facebook and obtaining her phone number. He allegedly killed and dismembered her body in what is suspected to be a ritualistic act.
The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that the suspect was apprehended after an investigation traced Yetunde’s last phone call to him.
Yetunde was last seen on Monday, February 10, 2025, when she attended a naming ceremony. She reportedly stepped aside to take a phone call and never returned. Concerned about her whereabouts, her family reported her missing the next day at the Oja-Oba Police Station.
Police investigations led them to Ballo’s residence in the Offa Garage district of Ilorin. Initially, he denied any involvement but later confessed that she had visited him and allegedly died of an asthma attack. However, a search of his home revealed Yetunde’s dismembered remains hidden in a bowl, along with tools suspected to have been used in the gruesome act.
Authorities believe this may not be the suspect’s first offense, as additional suspicious items were found in his home, suggesting a pattern of ritual killings.
Kwara State Police spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the arrest and stated that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further inquiry.
Meanwhile, outraged Nigerians have flooded the cleric’s Facebook page—where he previously shared religious messages—to call him out for the horrific crime.
