The Nasarawa State Police Command has arraigned gospel singer, Timilehin Ajayi in court for murder of Salome Adaidu.
Ajayi dismembered Salome, who he claimed to be his girlfriend, when she visited him at his house in the Papalana axis at New Karshi in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The 32-year-old suspect arrived at the Nasarawa State High Court in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital on Friday, January 17. 2025.
He was arraigned on one count charge of Culpable Homicide punishable with Death, contrary to section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.
The court ordered that the suspect be remanded in a correctional facility, Lafia pending formal arraignment on a date to be assigned.
Prior to her gruesome murder, the 24-year-old victim was a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), serving at Nicon Insurance in Abuja.
Ajayi was nabbed on Sunday, January 12, while trying to dispose Salome’s severed head after killing her and dismembering her body parts.
The suspect was brought to the headquarters of the Nasarawa State Police Command on Tuesday and paraded alongside the knife and machetes he used to commit the crime.
In an interview with journalists, Ajayi admitted to killing her, claiming that it was unplanned and stemmed from feelings of jealousy.
“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. Not that I have the plan in mind, she was cheating,” he said.
“She hides most of the things from me most times. I got to know from her phone. I saw her chats with other guys on the phone, that was why I decided.
When asked if he regretted his actions, he replied, “I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal, that is what I thought. If you must do something to someone, you have to be reciprocal with that person.
“You have to understand what that person is going through so that you can actually put yourself in the position that the person is going through. That is why I don’t have any regrets because we were compatible.”
Salome’s family however, denied any knowledge of a relationship between her and the suspect.
“This so-called Timi guy, we don’t know him. We have never seen him until we were called up to tell us that this guy murdered and dismembered our sister,” Salome’s elder sister, Esther Adaidu said.
“I demand and need justice to be served to this guy sitting over there because he is the one that murdered my sister and he confirmed it to me.”
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
