He was arraigned on Monday before Justice Simon Aboki of the High Court of Justice, Lafia, in the Nasarawa State capital.
Timileyin Ajayi, the suspected killer of Salome Adaidu, has been arraigned at the High Court of Justice, Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
He was charged with one count of culpable homicide punishable by death, contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria.
He was arraigned on Monday before Justice Simon Aboki. Upon arraignment, the suspect pleaded not guilty to the allegation.
The case has been adjourned from 17 to 20th March for trial.
The prosecuting counsel Stanley Nwaforagwu, while speaking to journalists after the arraignment, said, “The defendant, Timileyin Ajayi was properly arraigned before the High Court of Justice, Lafia on a one-count charge of culpable homicide punishable with death. His plea was taken and he pleaded not guilty to the charge and a date was set for trial. The case is now adjourned to 17 to 20th March for trial.
“The court is desirous of giving it an accelerated trial and it is a welcome development. We have overwhelming evidence to sustain the charge and we are optimistic that justice will be done.”
The Defense Counsel, Joseph Tukur, said, “Today was basically for arraignment and as the law demands he has entered his plea already. So, we have taken a date for hearing. It is not my place to prove the case, it’s my place to defend him, the work of the defence counsel is to ensure that the prosecution does their work legally well which is to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. I am here to make sure that the law is fulfilled.”
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria Jibrin Okutekpa led the team of lawyers for the family of the deceased. He said, “We are watching brief for the family of the deceased. We are not here for the defendant and this is a serious matter of national importance and we are here to see that justice is done.”
Disturbing Revelation
The 32-year-old was apprehended for the murder of his alleged girlfriend, Adaidu, a 24-year-old member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who served at Nicon Insurance in the Nation’s capital, Abuja, before her death.
Salome was murdered when she visited the suspect at his house in the Papalana axis at New Karshi in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The police had paraded Ajayi alongside the knife and machetes he used to commit the crime.
Timi was nabbed Sunday, January 12, 2025, while trying to dispose of the head of Salome after killing her and dismembering her body parts when she visited him at his house.
Answering questions in an exclusive interview from our Correspondent, when asked if he killed Salome, he answered “Yes”, narrating that it wasn’t planned but it is because they don’t have each other all the time.
“I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time, it’s not something I planned. It happened on that day and it happened. Not that I have the plan in mind, she was cheating. She hides most of the things from me most time. I got to know from her phone. I saw her chats with other guys on the phone, that was why I decided,” he said.
When probed further, he said he had no regrets in committing the crime.
He said, no. “I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal that is what I thought, if you must do something to someone, you have to be reciprocal with that person. You have to understand what that person is going through so that you can put yourself in the position that the person is going through, that is why I don’t have any regrets because we were compatible.”
