Emir of Ilorin condemns killing of final year student, calls for justice
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Mai-Martaba Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari CFR, has expressed sadness over the gruesome killing of Hafsoh Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education (KWCOE), Ilorin, by one Abdulrahman Bello, an acclaimed ‘alfa.’
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, on Sunday, Alhaji Sulu-Gambari condemned the incident, stressing that “It is a most unfortunate, alien, and regrettable act of wickedness.”
He noted that it has become essential for parents, guardians, and people in the neighborhood to remain vigilant about happenings around them, especially ensuring that their children and wards are in the company of people with tested and trusted characters and well-researched family backgrounds.
The Emir further emphasized that “Only hard work pays. A total war should be declared against idleness, laziness, and unwarranted loitering by youths in society in the name of finding means of survival.”
Alhaji Sulu-Gambari urged clerics in the Ilorin Emirate and beyond to sanitize the system by ensuring that individuals like Abdulrahman Bello are swiftly exposed to law enforcement agencies before they cause more harm and damage the lives of innocent people.
He commiserated with the family of the late Hafsoh Lawal over the unfortunate end to the life of the promising young woman, urging the Nigerian Police and the Judiciary to ensure that full justice is served in this matter.
The Emir also directed religious leaders, especially Imams in mosques within the Ilorin Emirate and Kwara State at large, to focus more attention in their Friday Khutbah on morality, dignity in labor, and the importance and respect for the lives of fellow human beings, irrespective of tribe, religion, or status.
