By Abiola Olawale
The Nasarawa State High Court in Lafia has sentenced Oluwatimileyin Ajayi, a former gospel singer, to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of a 24-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Salome Adaidu.
The presiding judge, Justice Simon Aboki, handed down the judgment on June 26, 2025, after finding Ajayi guilty of killing and dismembering Adaidu.
The New Diplomat reports that the judgment came after Adaidu, a young woman serving at Nicon Insurance in Abuja, was killed and dismembered in January 2025 after allegedly visiting Ajayi at his residence in the Papalana area of New Karshi, Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State.
Authorities arrested Ajayi on January 12, 2025, while he was allegedly attempting to dispose of Adaidu’s dismembered remains, including her severed head, which was found in a polythene bag in his possession.
The prosecution, led by Raymond Umar, during the court trial presented evidence, including testimonies from three key witnesses: the Divisional Police Officer of Karshi Police Station, another investigating officer, and Adaidu’s uncle, Samson Adaidu, who identified her remains.
Ajayi’s defense counsel, Joseph Tuku Bisson, argued that the prosecution failed to provide concrete evidence linking his client directly to the crime.
However, Justice Aboki dismissed these claims, finding Ajayi guilty of culpable homicide punishable by death under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.
