A High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sentenced Oluwatimileyin Ajayi to death by hanging for the gruesome killing of Salome Adaidu, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Simon Aboki, found Ajayi guilty of culpable homicide, in violation of Section 221 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty.
Ajayi was accused of luring Adaidu, a young graduate deployed to Nasarawa for her national service, to a remote location where he murdered and beheaded her in a crime that sparked national outrage when it came to light in 2022.
Adaidu had been declared missing by fellow corps members in Karu Local Government Area, only for her dismembered body to be discovered days later in a shallow grave, with her head removed. The horrific nature of the crime drew widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over the safety of NYSC members posted to remote areas.
Following his arrest, Ajayi was arraigned on a one-count charge of culpable homicide. During the trial, the prosecution presented forensic evidence and witness testimonies that linked him to the crime. Investigators said Ajayi attempted to cover his tracks by disposing of the body and deleting incriminating messages.
In his ruling, Justice Aboki said the court was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant intentionally and maliciously killed the victim.
“This court has carefully reviewed all the evidence before it. The murder of Salome Adaidu was brutal, senseless, and deliberate. The accused is found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging,” the judge ruled.
The verdict has brought some measure of closure to the victim’s grieving family and the NYSC community, with many Nigerians welcoming the sentence as a just response to the heinous crime.
Rights groups and youth advocates have since renewed calls for the federal government to improve security measures for corps members, particularly women posted to isolated areas for the mandatory one-year service.
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