Adefemi Adesakin
An Islamic teacher, Abdulrahman Bello, 29, who was arrested for the alleged murder of Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student at Kwara State College of Education, has denied involvement in her death, claiming he is a “victim of circumstance.”
In a video that surfaced online on Saturday, Bello, who introduced himself as Mohammed, admitted to being in a relationship with the deceased and recounted his version of events leading to her death.
According to him, Yetunde returned from an event around 3 pm on the day of the incident and complained of hunger. He claimed he went out to buy her food but returned to find her gasping for breath.
Speaking in Yoruba, he said, “My name is Mohammed. I’m a Muslim cleric. The girl is Hafusa. She is my girlfriend. I met her on Facebook.”
Bello alleged that Yetunde had told him she was asthmatic and expressed shock at her sudden death. He, however, admitted to dismembering her body and disposing of it at a public refuse dump out of fear and confusion.
“I was in shock when she died, so I couldn’t cry out for help. I dismembered her body and disposed of it at the public refuse dump because I couldn’t think of any better way. I have never done this before. This is my first time,” he stated.
Yetunde Lawal was declared missing on February 11 after failing to return home. Her remains were later discovered in Bello’s residence, where police also found fetish items, raising suspicions that this may not have been his first crime.
The police have yet to release an official statement on the ongoing investigation.
