‘She was asthmatic’ — suspected ritualist denies killing female student in Kwara

Abdulrahman Bello, the suspected ritualist accused of killing Yetunde Lawal, a female student of Kwara State College of Education, has denied any involvement in her death.

The 24-year-old student was said to have gone missing on February 10, prompting her parents to file a report at a police station in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state.

Following the police investigation, Bello was arrested in connection with her disappearance.

The victim was said to have been killed and her body dismembered by the suspect, whom she met on Facebook.

In a video circulating online on Saturday, Bello, who introduced himself as Mohammed, claimed that he did not kill Yetunde.

According to him, Yetunde had told him she was asthmatic before visiting his house on the day of the incident.

He claimed that she attended an event earlier in the day and returned to his home, complaining of hunger.

Speaking in the Yoruba language, he said, “My name is Mohammed; I am a Muslim cleric. I am about to gain admission into KWASU.”

“The girl is Hafusa. She is my girlfriend; I met her on Facebook. I didn’t kill her. I am just a victim of circumstance.

“She told me they had an event at 1 pm after school that day. She got back after 3 pm. When she came, she told me she hadn’t eaten, so I went to get her food. However, she was gasping for breath when I got back.

“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.”