A High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sentenced gospel musician Oluwatimileyin Ajayi to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, Salome Adaidu, who was serving as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member at the time of her death.
The tragic incident occurred when 24-year-old Salome visited Ajayi at his home in Papaladna village, located in the Karshi Development Area of Karu Local Government. According to court proceedings, the 31-year-old musician killed her during the visit.
Justice Simon Aboki, who presided over the case, ruled that the prosecution had presented compelling evidence proving Ajayi’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The judge rejected the defendant’s claim that he lost consciousness after spending intimate time with the victim and was unaware when he allegedly gave his confession.
Ajayi was convicted under Section 221 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty for murder. Delivering the final verdict, Justice Aboki declared:
“The law is clear on this, and the punishment is death. Therefore, the accused is hereby sentenced to death by hanging.”
During the trial, which spanned several months, the prosecuting team argued that the confessional statement given by Ajayi, along with other physical evidence—including a machete and small knives—firmly established his guilt. They urged the court to enforce the full weight of the law.
On the other hand, the defense team challenged the credibility of the confession and the physical evidence. They argued that the so-called confession lacked probative value and pleaded for Ajayi to be acquitted, insisting that the evidence was not strong enough to support a conviction.
Despite these arguments, the court upheld the prosecution’s case and handed down the maximum sentence under the law.