Tragedy struck in Lokoja this week following the gruesome murder of a local photojournalist, Ayo Aiyepekun, as the prime suspect, a serving correctional officer, Jacob Adebayo Pelumi, reportedly committed suicide while evading arrest.
Pelumi, an officer attached to the Nigeria Correctional Service in the Benue/Kogi Command, was alleged to have killed Aiyepekun, who worked with Inside Story, an online news outlet based in Lokoja. The incident occurred on Tuesday night, July 22, around 8:30 p.m., inside a residential compound located in the Government House area of Lokoja.
Eyewitness accounts and preliminary police findings suggest that the suspect lured Aiyepekun to his apartment on the pretext of assisting with moving a freezer from his poultry. The journalist was reportedly struck multiple times with an iron rod and then dismembered.
Following the attack, Pelumi allegedly placed the remains in a freezer, which he later loaded into a Hilux van and fled the scene. Security operatives on patrol reportedly opened fire on the vehicle, but he managed to escape.
The suspect resurfaced two days later at a hotel on the outskirts of Lokoja, where he checked in under a false identity. He was discovered dead in his room on Thursday afternoon, around 1:00 p.m., with a suspected suicide note and a bottle of Sniper insecticide beside him.
Confirming the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Kogi State Police Command, SP William Ovye Aya, said the suspect was the prime suspect in the ongoing murder investigation. He said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital morgue in Lokoja, and that a full autopsy would be conducted.
“We recovered the deceased’s vehicle, a deep freezer suspected to have been used to transport the victim’s remains, and other items now in police custody. A discreet investigation is ongoing,” Aya stated.
Meanwhile, the family of the slain journalist is demanding justice and clarity. Speaking to reporters in Lokoja, the victim’s elder brother, Timothy Aiyepekun, said the family is devastated by the loss and has called on the state government and police authorities to intensify efforts to recover Ayo’s remains, which are yet to be found.
“Ayo was a peace-loving and dedicated young man. We still do not understand why he was killed in such a horrific way,” he said.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kogi State Chapter, also condemned the killing and called for improved protection of media practitioners in the state.
“This incident is a sobering reminder of the risks journalists face even in their own communities. We urge the authorities to ensure justice is not denied,” the union stated.
As of press time, police say the investigation remains active, with forensic experts involved in reviewing evidence recovered from the crime scene and the hotel.
