Court Sentences Islamic Cleric to Death for Killing Final-Year Student in Ritual Murder, Clears Four Others
Alhaji Jimoh Ibrahim, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Kwara State High Court for the gruesome murder of a final-year student, identified as Raliat Sanni,
An Islamic cleric, Alhaji Jimoh Ibrahim, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Kwara State High Court for the gruesome murder of a final-year student, identified as Raliat Sanni, in what the court described as a ritual killing. The ruling was delivered on Tuesday in Ilorin, the state capital.
The young victim, Raliat, was a student of the Department of Science Education at the University of Ilorin. She was reported missing in 2021, and her dismembered body was later discovered in a shallow grave behind the cleric’s house in the outskirts of Ilorin. Her disappearance sparked outrage among students and residents in the area, demanding swift justice.
Justice Halimat Salman, who presided over the case, found Alhaji Jimoh guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder. In her ruling, she said the evidence presented by the prosecution clearly showed that the cleric was involved in the killing of the student for ritual purposes. The court stated that the murder was premeditated and driven by the suspect’s desperate desire for spiritual power and wealth.
However, the court discharged and acquitted four other suspects — including two herbalists and two co-accused community members — due to lack of sufficient evidence linking them directly to the crime.
The trial, which lasted over two years, saw testimonies from police investigators, forensic experts, and the victim’s family. Emotional scenes played out in the courtroom as Raliat’s parents broke down in tears after the verdict was delivered, saying they had waited painfully for justice to prevail.
“We are grateful to God and the court for standing by the truth. Our daughter did not die in vain,” her mother said outside the courtroom.
The case has renewed conversations across Kwara and the country on the growing menace of ritual killings and the urgent need to protect women and young people from such brutal acts. Many civil society groups have also called for stricter laws and community vigilance to stop the spread of ritual-related crimes in Nigeria.
The convicted cleric will now await the date of his execution, pending any appeal.
