An Islamic cleric in Ilorin, Abdulrahman Mohad Ballo, has been arrested for allegedly killing a final-year student of Kwara State College of Education, Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, for ritual purposes.

The suspect reportedly lured Yetunde after connecting with her on Facebook and obtaining her phone number.

According to reports, the suspect dismembered her body for alleged ritual purposes after the gruesome killing.

The Kwara State Police Command, which confirmed the incident, stated that the suspect had been arrested.

Yetunde, a final-year student of Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, was last seen on Monday, February 10, 2025, while attending a naming ceremony. She received a call from a friend, stepped aside to answer, and then left.

“Since then, we’ve been searching for her everywhere, but no one knew her whereabouts,” a source said.

By Tuesday, Feb. 11, her family reported her missing at Oja-Oba Police Station, Ilorin. The police used her phone number to trace her last call, which led them to a suspect living in the Offa Garage district area of Ilorin.

The suspect was arrested but initially denied knowing her whereabouts.

However, during a search of his house, he confessed that she had visited him and allegedly died of an asthma attack.

Upon further investigation, police discovered Yetunde’s dismembered body, hidden in a bowl, along with equipment used for the act.

Sources suggest this may not be the suspect’s first offence, as police found suspicious tools in his room, indicating a possible pattern of ritual killings.

The Kwara State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the incident, stating: “The Kwara State Police Command is aware of the gruesome killing of one Miss Yetunde H. Lawal. On February 11, 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, detectives swung into action, tracked her number, and arrested a suspect. Exhibits were recovered, and the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

“Further updates will be communicated as the investigation progresses.”

Meanwhile, Nigerians have gone to the Facebook account of the cleric, where he used to share religious messages, to call him out.