The High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has delivered a verdict sentencing gospel musician Oluwatimileyin Ajayi to death by hanging for the murder of a 24-year-old woman, Salome Adaidu. The ruling was issued by Justice Simon Aboki, who declared Ajayi guilty of culpable homicide after a prolonged legal trial. According to the court, Ajayi was convicted under Section 221 of the Penal Code applicable in Northern Nigeria, a section which mandates the death penalty for those found guilty of intentionally taking another person’s life.
Justice Aboki, while delivering the judgment, stated that the evidence presented to the court established beyond reasonable doubt that Ajayi had intentionally caused the death of the deceased. “The law is clear on this, and the punishment is death. Therefore, the accused is hereby sentenced to death by hanging,” the judge pronounced.
Salome Adaidu, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving at Nicon Insurance in Abuja at the time of her death, was found murdered earlier this year. The case attracted public outrage when Ajayi was apprehended in January with Adaidu’s severed head in his possession.
During a media interview with Channels TV, Ajayi confessed to the crime, claiming he acted out of emotional distress. He alleged that Adaidu was unfaithful and often kept secrets from him, which he discovered by reading her private conversations on her phone. He said, “I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time… I saw her chats with other guys… that was why I decided.” He showed no remorse, saying, “I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal.”
Despite Ajayi’s claim that they were in a romantic relationship, the victim’s elder sister, Esther Adaidu, firmly refuted this, insisting that there was no known romantic connection between her sister and the accused. The case has stirred strong emotions across the country, with many calling for justice and better protection for women.
