Police arrest ‘ritualist for killing 24-year-old female student’ in Kwara

The Kwara police command says its operatives have arrested a suspected ritualist over the alleged killing of Lawal Yetunde, a 24-year-old female student of Kwara State College of Education.

The victim was said to have been killed and her body dismembered by the suspect, who she reportedly met on social media.

Channels Television quoted a source as saying that Yetunde went missing on Monday, February 10, 2025.

“She was at a naming ceremony when she received a call from a friend. According to sources, she dropped her food to answer the call and then left,” the source said.

“Since then, we’ve been searching for her everywhere. But no one knew her whereabouts. On Tuesday, her parents reported the case to the Oja Oba police station in Ilorin.

“The police requested her phone number and used it to track her last call. The call was traced to an individual living in the Offa garage district area of Ilorin, although his family house is in Isalekuto.

“The suspect was arrested but initially denied knowledge of the lady’s whereabouts. However, when the police searched his house, he confessed that the lady was in his area and had died from an asthma attack after he called her to come over.

Confirming the incident, Ejire-Adeyemi Adetoun, the police spokesperson in Kwara, told TheCable on Saturday that the operatives traced the victim’s phone numbers after she was reported missing on February 11.

Adetoun said the case has been transferred to the state criminal investigation department (SCID) for further probing.

She said further information about the case would be communicated.

“The Kwara state police command is aware of the gruesome killing of Miss Yetunde H. Lawal, aged 24 years,” Adetoun said.

“On 11/02/2025 at about 1800 hours, a case of a missing person was reported at C Division Oja-Oba by her father, Mr. Ibrahim A. Lawal.

“Immediately, the police detectives swung into action, tracked her phone numbers, arrested a suspect, and recovered exhibits.

“The case had been transferred to the SCID, Ilorin, for discreet investigations.

“Further updates will be communicated as investigations progress.”