The Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice has formally requested the consent of Governor Abdullahi Sule to execute Oluwatimileyin Ajayi, who was convicted of murdering a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Salome Adaidu.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Danladi Isaac, confirmed the development in an interview with newsmen.
Ajayi was sentenced to death by hanging by a State High Court sitting in Lafia on June 26, 2025, after being found guilty in a case that attracted widespread public attention due to its gruesome nature.
According to the Attorney-General, the convict had a 90-day window to file an appeal, which expired on September 26, 2025, without any appeal being lodged.
“With the appeal period now over, the Ministry has commenced the legal process required to obtain the governor’s final approval for the execution, in line with constitutional provisions,” Barrister Isaac stated.
Ajayi, a 31-year-old gospel singer, was arrested in January 2025 after being caught by churchgoers carrying the severed head of his 24-year-old girlfriend, Salome Adaidu, a corps member serving in Abuja.
Her dismembered body was later discovered in Ajayi’s apartment in New Karshi, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
During his trial, Ajayi confessed to killing her out of jealousy after discovering messages on her phone.
Justice Simon Aboki of the Nasarawa State High Court found him guilty of culpable homicide punishable by death under Section 221 of the Penal Code, ruling that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The murder sparked nationwide outrage and renewed calls for justice for victims of violence against women and NYSC members.
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