The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested gospel singer Timilehin Ajayi for allegedly murdering and dismembering his 24-year-old girlfriend, Salome Enejo, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), for suspected ritual purposes.
Nasarawa state police command’s spokesperson, Ramhan Nansel, confirmed that Enejo was serving in Abuja when she was brutally killed by Ajayi.
Ajayi was apprehended by churchgoers on Sunday in Orozo, a community bordering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, after he was found carrying a polybag containing Enejo’s severed head.
Caleb Umaru, the church’s Bible Study Teacher and General Secretary, recounted the incident during an interview with PUNCH Online on Monday. He explained that a church member noticed Ajayi behaving suspiciously near a river.
According to Umaru, the member alerted others when Ajayi threw a bag into the river, which was later retrieved and found to contain his girlfriend’s severed head. Umaru stated, “It was just before the end of the service, around 11 a.m., during the final pledge and prayers. A church member, Brother Victor, opened his eyes during the prayers and noticed someone walking suspiciously by the river near the church, carrying a bag. His movements caught Victor’s attention, prompting him to call over Brother Amos to take notice as well.
“When they approached him, he threw a black nylon bag into the river. When they inquired about the contents, he claimed it was nothing. After repeated questioning, he attempted to flee but was chased down and apprehended in a nearby farm area before being handed over to the police.”
Umaru further revealed that a motorcyclist who had transported Ajayi enlisted help to confront him. Four men approached Ajayi, demanding he retrieve the bag he had discarded.
In a telephone interview with PUNCH Metro, Nansel stated that police intervened just in time to prevent Ajayi from being mobbed by an angry crowd. “The suspect was found with a fresh human head, and when we arrived at the scene, we rescued him from the mob,” he said.
Nansel added that further investigation revealed the rest of the mutilated body inside Ajayi’s apartment. “We discovered two sacks filled with the victim’s dismembered body. The victim has been identified as 24-year-old Salome Enejo; her parents have been contacted and confirmed her identity. She was a National Youth Service Corps member serving in Abuja.”
Ajayi is currently receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained during the mob incident, and a thorough investigation is underway, Nansel confirmed.
