Tension gripped the Ilorin Chief Magistrate Court on Thursday as Abdulrahman Bello, the prime suspect in the murder of Kwara State College of Education student Yetunde Lawal, resurfaced under heavy security. His sudden reappearance debunked previous reports that he had been transferred to Abuja by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Courtroom drama unfolded as Bello and his four alleged accomplices—Ahmed Abdulwasiu (41), Suleiman Muyideen (28), Jamiu Uthman (29), and Abdulrahmon Jamiu (31)—were remanded in DSS custody despite fierce opposition from defense lawyers. Chief Magistrate Sanusi Mohammed ruled that they remain in custody until April 9, 2025, as investigations continue.
Legal fireworks erupted when the prosecution, led by Chief State Counsel Issa Zakari, defended the continued detention, citing fresh intelligence reports. Defense counsel, however, condemned the order, arguing that the case had already been transferred to the High Court, where an April 15 hearing date had been scheduled. Barrister A.S. Oseni, representing some of the defendants, called the order “barbaric, null, and void.”
Zakari countered, stating that the suspects had not yet been formally arraigned in the High Court and that the Magistrate Court retained the authority to grant custody orders. He dismissed the defense’s objections as an attempt to delay justice, emphasizing that justice must be served for society, the victim, and the accused.
With legal arguments heating up, the magistrate upheld the prosecution’s request, setting the next hearing for April 9. Meanwhile, Bello, the alleged mastermind of the gruesome murder, remains without legal representation.
