In a chilling verdict that has stunned the nation, the High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sentenced gospel musician Oluwatimileyin Ajayi to death by hanging for the brutal murder and beheading of Salome Adaidu, a 24-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member.
Presiding judge Justice Simon Aboki delivered the ruling on Thursday, declaring Ajayi guilty of culpable homicide after months of intense trial. The court found that Ajayi had intentionally caused the death of the victim, sentencing him under Section 221 of the Northern Nigerian Penal Code, which carries the death penalty.
“The evidence before the court clearly shows that the accused intentionally caused the death of the deceased. The law is clear on this, and the punishment is death,” said Justice Aboki. “The accused is hereby sentenced to death by hanging.”
Ajayi, arrested in January after being caught in possession of Adaidu’s severed head, gave a shocking, remorseless confession in an interview with Channels TV.
“I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal,” he said coldly. “She was cheating… I saw her chats with other guys. I didn’t plan it—it just happened. We were actually compatible.”
Ajayi’s disturbing justification has triggered nationwide outrage, especially after Esther Adaidu, the victim’s elder sister, revealed that there was no romantic relationship between Salome and her killer.
Salome, who was serving at NICON Insurance in Abuja, had her life tragically cut short in what appears to be a premeditated and delusional act masked as a crime of passion.
As Nigeria grapples with rising gender-based violence, this case lays bare the dark intersections of jealousy, obsession, and violence, even among those who wear the mask of morality—like gospel singers.
Justice has been served, but the trauma of Salome’s death—and Ajayi’s haunting lack of remorse—will linger for a long time.
