A Nasarawa State High Court on Monday remanded Timilehin Ajayi in custody over the alleged killing of his 24-year-old girlfriend, Salome Adaidu.
Ajayi, whose address was not provided, is facing charges of culpable homicide.
The state prosecutor, Stanley Ifeanyi, informed the court that Ajayi had killed Adaidu, a member of the National Youth Service Corps in the Federal Capital Territory.
Ifeanyi stated that the offence contravened Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria, which carries the death penalty.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
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The presiding judge, Justice Simon Aboki, remanded Ajayi at the Lafia Custodial Centre and adjourned the case until March 17 for a hearing.
He assured the court that the case would receive accelerated consideration due to its grave and sensitive nature.
“The court is eager to expedite the trial, and this is a positive development. We have overwhelming evidence to support the charge, and we are confident that justice will be served,” said the state prosecutor.
The Defence Counsel, Joseph Tukur, remarked, “Today was primarily for the arraignment, and as required by law, the defendant has entered his plea. We have set a date for the hearing. It is not my responsibility to prove the case; rather, my role is to defend him. The work of the defence counsel is to ensure the prosecution fulfils its obligation to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. I am here to ensure that the law is upheld.”
Jibrin Okutekpa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, led the legal team representing the family of the deceased. He stated, “We are here on behalf of the family of the deceased. Our focus is not on the defendant, but rather on ensuring that justice is served in this serious matter, which holds national significance.”
TheLeadNG reports that 32-year-old Timilehin Ajayi was arrested for the murder of his alleged girlfriend, Salome Adaidu, a 24-year-old member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who had been serving at Nicon Insurance in Abuja at the time of her death.
Salome was killed when she visited the suspect at his home in the Papalana area of New Karshi in the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The police paraded Ajayi alongside the knife and machetes he allegedly used to commit the crime.
Ajayi was apprehended on Sunday, 12 January 2025, while attempting to dispose of Salome’s head after murdering and dismembering her body during her visit to his home.
In an exclusive interview, when asked if he killed Salome, Ajayi responded, “Yes,” explaining that it was not premeditated but occurred because they were not always together.
“I killed her because we didn’t have each other all the time, it wasn’t something I planned. It just happened that day. It wasn’t something I had been thinking about; she was cheating. She hid things from me a lot. I found out from her phone when I saw her chats with other men, and that’s when I decided,” he said.
When asked if he regretted his actions, he stated that he had no regrets about committing the crime.
