The High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sentenced Oluwatimileyin Ajayi, a 32-year-old man, to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of Salome Adaidu, a 24-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member.
Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Simon Aboki found Ajayi guilty of culpable homicide after the prosecution presented overwhelming evidence showing that he killed and dismembered the victim. The crime is contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code, which prescribes the death penalty.
Ajayi had earlier confessed to the murder during a televised interview shortly after his arrest, saying he acted out of jealousy and resentment.
“I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time,” he admitted. “It’s not something I planned. It happened on that day… I saw her chats with other guys on the phone, that was why I decided.”
The victim, Salome Adaidu, was serving with Nicon Insurance in Abuja before her tragic death. According to police investigations, she had travelled to visit Ajayi whom sources described as her alleged boyfriend at his residence in the Papalana axis of New Karshi, Karu Local Government Area.
She never made it back.
Ajayi was arrested on Sunday, January 12, 2025, while allegedly attempting to dispose of Salome’s severed head. He was paraded by the police along with the knife and machetes allegedly used in the crime.
The chilling nature of the incident sparked national outrage. During his police parade, Ajayi showed no remorse.
“I don’t have any regrets,” he said when asked if he felt sorry for the crime. “Life is reciprocal, that is what I thought. If you must do something to someone, you have to be reciprocal with that person.”
His shocking justification triggered widespread calls for swift justice.
During the trial, the prosecution established that Ajayi acted with full intent to kill, citing his calculated efforts to conceal the crime and his admission of jealousy. Justice Aboki, in his ruling, described the act as “gruesome, deliberate, and unjustifiable.”
Reacting to the verdict, representatives of the NYSC community in Abuja and Nasarawa State expressed relief at the judgment, calling it a necessary step toward deterrence and justice for Salome.
“This verdict is a solemn reminder that violence against women must never go unpunished,” one NYSC official said. “Salome was young, intelligent, and full of promise. Her life was brutally cut short.”
9am News report confirms that Ajayi was taken into custody immediately after sentencing and will await further execution of the court’s ruling in line with the law.
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