Orozo, a border community between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, Nigeria, was thrown into shock on Sunday when a man, identified as Oluwatimileyin Ajayi, alleged to be a gospel musician, was arrested for possessing a severed human head.

The incident occurred during a thanksgiving service marking the end of a seven-day fast at a local church.

According to Caleb Umaru, the church’s Bible Study Teacher and General Secretary, the suspect’s suspicious behaviour was first noticed by a church member, Brother Victor. Around 11 a.m., during the final prayers, Victor opened his eyes and saw Ajayi moving near a river close to the church, carrying a black nylon bag.

Concerned by Ajayi’s unusual behaviour, Victor alerted another member, Brother Amos, and they approached Ajayi, who was seated at the back of the church.

Upon being confronted, Ajayi hurriedly threw the bag into the river and claimed it contained nothing. His actions, however, heightened suspicion, prompting the church members to keep a close watch on him.

Shortly after the incident, two motorcyclists arrived at the scene. One of them revealed that he had transported Ajayi from a nearby town, Loko-Tiye, and had noticed blood dripping from the bag. With suspicions mounting, the church members, along with the motorcyclists, confronted Ajayi.

When asked to retrieve the bag from the river, Ajayi initially denied any wrongdoing and attempted to flee. He was chased into a nearby bush, where he was eventually subdued after a lengthy pursuit.

“It took a lot of effort for the four men to catch him,” Umaru explained. “The chase ended in a bushy area, which is why the video of his arrest appears to have been recorded in a farm-like setting.”

When the bag was retrieved and opened, its horrifying contents were revealed—a severed human head. The victim was later identified as Ajayi’s girlfriend.

During the confrontation, Ajayi, who sustained injuries while attempting to escape, confessed to murdering his girlfriend.

According to him, the altercation began over a dispute about her phone. He claimed that during the argument, she attacked him with a knife, injuring his hand. In retaliation, he seized the knife and stabbed her in the neck, resulting in her death.

“He admitted that he stabbed her in the neck during the fight,” Umaru recounted.

In a viral video capturing the aftermath, a police officer is seen interrogating Ajayi. When asked why he was carrying the severed head, Ajayi claimed that “a woman” had instructed him to bring it to her. The identity of the woman or her alleged role in the crime remains unclear.

Local police officers arrived at the scene shortly after Ajayi’s capture. They took him into custody, along with the decapitated head, and transported him in a police van. “The police carried him because he was lying down, almost half-dead from his injuries,” Umaru said.