Court Sentences Timileyin Ajayi to Death over Murder of NYSC Member

Court Sentences Timileyin Ajayi to Death over Murder of NYSC Member

ESTHER SALIFU, Abuja

A High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sentenced 32-year-old Timileyin Ajayi to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of 24-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Salome Eleojo Adaidu.

Justice Simon Aboki delivered the verdict on Thursday, finding Ajayi guilty of culpable homicide after a months-long trial.

Ajayi was arrested on January 12, 2025, after being caught by churchgoers in Orozo, a border community between Abuja and Nasarawa, carrying a polybag containing Adaidu’s severed head.

Further investigation led authorities to discover the remaining body parts in his apartment in New Karshi, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

During police interrogation, Ajayi confessed to the crime, stating that he killed Adaidu, whom he described as his girlfriend, in a fit of jealousy after discovering messages on her phone that suggested infidelity.

“I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time. It’s not something I planned. It happened on that day, and it happened,” he said.

Despite his initial confession, Ajayi later pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in January. However, Justice Aboki ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, stating, “The law is clear on this, and the punishment is death. Therefore, the accused is hereby sentenced to death by hanging.”

The case drew widespread attention, prompting the Nasarawa State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Jugbo Hauwa Samuel, to take over the prosecution. She assured the public that the state would leave no stone unturned in securing justice for the victim.

Adaidu, a graduate of the University of Abuja, was serving at Nicon Insurance in the nation’s capital before her untimely death. Her murder sparked outrage and renewed calls for stronger measures against gender-based violence in Nigeria.