How gospel Singer who allegedly beheaded girlfriend was nabbed- Police

The police in Nassarawa State on Monday confirmed the arrest of a gospel singer, Oluwatimileyin Ajayi, who was apprehended in Agwan Sarki Orozo, Nasarawa State, near a church for allegedly beheading his girlfriend.

The Nassarawa State police spokesperson Rahman Nansel told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspect was nabbed on Sunday and also narrated how Mr Ajayi met his Waterloo.

Mr Nansel said, ‘‘What happened was that yesterday (Sunday), on the evening of 11th January 2025, at approximately 8:30 p.m., a motorcyclist transporting one Oluwatimileyin Ajayi from Akwanga Angbaku near Cajaah Estate in New Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, noticed blood dripping from the suspect’s luggage.

“Alarmed by the discovery, the motorcyclist raised an alarm, drawing the attention of a nearby crowd. An angry mob descended on the suspect, but the police, acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, swiftly intervened and rescued him from being lynched.

“The suspect, who sustained injuries, was taken to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention. A subsequent investigation led the authorities to execute a search warrant at his residence. During the search, the remains of a young woman, later identified as 24-year-old Eleojo Salome Adaidu, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member staying and serving in Nyanya, FCT Abuja, were recovered. The Commissioner of Police has since ordered a thorough investigation, which remains ongoing,” the PRO stated.

In a now-viral video, Mr Ajayi, famous for his 2020 single, reportedly admitted to the crime and said that the rest of the victim’s body was at his residence while interrogated by members of the community.

Netizens react

Hours after his arrest, news quickly spread, and Nigerians quickly discovered his TikTok page, called caesar.t, where he portrayed himself as a content creator.

In one of his content videos, which was essentially motivational, Mr Ajayi claimed that the concept of “village people”—a term used to refer to spiritual powers believed to come from one’s lineage—was “unfounded” and “baseless.”

In response, netizens flooded the comment section, sarcastically suggesting that his “village people had now truly caught up with him.” Others reacted to a video of him hitting a punching bag, commenting that he was practising for the act of allegedly “killing his girlfriend.”

PREMIUM TIMES checks show that the singer released the ‘God of the Earth’ album in 2020. Mr Ajayi said about the song, “I once doubted the existence of God until God strategically restored me to Himself and then gave me this song to proclaim his sovereignty’’.

Similar cases

There have been several high-profile cases where individuals were apprehended by the Nigerian police in possession of human remains, often linked to ritualistic practices.

In September 2024, an undergraduate, Ayomide Adeleye, was arrested for the abduction and murder of his friend, 21-year-old Christiana Idowu, a Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) student in Lagos. Adeleye reportedly confessed to the crime, and the police remanded him in custody while awaiting trial. The incident sparked public outrage with several hashtags and clamour for Christianah’s justice.

Similarly, in December 2024, the Ogun State Police Command arrested 45-year-old Taiwo Yemitan in the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta after a human head and dismembered body parts of a female victim were found in his possession.

In June 2024, another case unfolded in Isua-Akoko, Ondo State, where Yusuf Adinohi, a suspected ritualist, was apprehended by the police for allegedly possessing eight human skulls. This discovery raised further alarm about the prevalence of ritualistic activities in the region.

Also in December 2024, two men, Oladeyo Idowu and Monday Ogunniyi, were arrested in the Oja-Odan area of Ogun State for allegedly engaging in ritualistic activities involving human remains.

Many netizens have linked such practices to desperation amongst young people nationwide for quick wealth.