Amnesty International has urged Nigerian authorities to address femicide following the killing of 24-year-old Salome Adaidu, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), serving at Nicon Insurance in the Nation’s capital, Abuja who was beheaded and cut into pieces by gospel singer Timileyin Ajayi on Sunday, January 12.
In a statement on Wednesday, Amnesty International pointed out that the security operatives do not pursue all lines of inquiry, which further endangers women’s right to life and safety.
“The slaughter of 24-year-old Salome Adaidu, by gospel singer Timileyin Ajayi, once again, highlights the urgent need for the Nigerian authorities to effectively address femicide: There are no two sides to these brutal atrocities targeting women. In almost all recent cases of femicide in #Nigeria, the authorities do not rigorously pursue all lines of inquiry, and their failure further endangers women’s human rights to life and physical safety.”
The agency, which spoke after the killing of the victim in Abuja on Sunday after she, according to her family, entered the wrong tricycle and was killed and beheaded by the gospel artist, urged the security agencies to establish femicide investigation expertise and units.
“The slow pace of investigation and prosecution of recent femicide cases across Nigeria is worrying and must be addressed effectively. We urge the security agencies to develop and establish femicide investigation expertise and units.”
Reports have revealed that the victim was murdered when she visited the 32-year-old suspect at his house in the Papalana axis at New Karshi in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
Ajayi, who has been remanded in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Nasarawa State Police Command in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Capital, was paraded alongside the knife and machetes he used to commit the crime.
Timileyin admitted to killing Salome stating that it wasn’t planned. “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 of the 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.
He further revealed that he has no regrets after killing her. “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.”
However, Salome’s elder sister, Esther Adaidu and Uncle Samson Adaji Adaidu denied knowledge of any relationship between her deceased sister and the suspect as she pleaded for justice.
She said, “This so-called Timi guy, we don’t know him. We had never seen him until we were called up to tell us that this guy murdered and dismembered our sister.
“I demand and need justice to be served to this guy sitting over there because he is the one that murdered my sister and he confirmed it to me.”
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Command, SP Ramhan Nansel assured that justice will be served.
He said, “Investigation is ongoing, and upon conclusion of the investigation he will be arraigned in court for prosecution. I want to assure the family and members of the public that this suspect will not be spared if found wanting.
“He will be charged to court for prosecution. We are calling on members of the public who may have any complaints against the suspect to come forward with their complaints and it will be looked into and investigated.”
Recall that Benjamin, popularly known as Killaboi, was never arrested after he killed a 21-year-old undergraduate of Lead University, Ibadan, Oyo State, identified as Augusta Osedion, who was reported his girlfriend in Oral Estate, Ikota, Ajah, Lagos, in 2021.
