Salome Adaidu

A High Court sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sentenced Oluwatimileyin Daniels Ajayi to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member Salome Adaidu.

Presiding Judge, Justice Simon Aboki, delivered the verdict after finding Ajayi guilty of culpable homicide, contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.

The judgement follows months of legal proceedings that began in January, when Ajayi first pleaded not guilty to the charge. During the trial, prosecutors presented three witnesses and five documentary exhibits, all of which were accepted as evidence. The witnesses detailed how the victim’s dismembered body was found in Ajayi’s possession.

The case, taken over by the Nasarawa State Government, saw the prosecution successfully argue for the correction of the defendant’s full name during proceedings.

Lead prosecutor Raymond Umoru expressed confidence in the justice system following the court’s ruling, while defence counsel Joseph Tuku-Bisong acknowledged the process and said the defence had done its part.

The court’s ruling brings closure to a deeply tragic case that shocked the nation and sparked widespread calls for justice. Salome Adaidu had been serving as a corps member in Nasarawa State before she was reported missing and later found dead in Ajayi’s home.