Suspected killer of Kogi journalist is dead -Police

The Kogi State Police Command says that Jacob Adebayo Pelumi, the suspected killer of photo-journalist Ayo Aiyepeku, has allegedly committed suicide.

According to the Command’s spokesperson,  Williams Ovye-Aya, Pelumi’s corpse was found in a hotel room in Lokoja, hours after police launched a manhunt for him on Wednesday.

The police were alerted to the corpse by the hotel management early on Thursday morning. Upon responding, they discovered that it was indeed the suspect wanted in connection with Aiyepeku’s alleged murder. A suicide note and a bottle of Sniper insecticide were found beside Pelumi’s bed in the hotel room.

Pelumi’s body has been deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, for autopsy to determine the actual cause of death. The police have also recovered a Hilux vehicle allegedly used by Pelumi, which has been parked at the ‘A’ Division station. A deep freezer found in the vehicle was also taken into custody by the police.

Aiyepeku was gruesomely murdered on Tuesday night in an office near the Government House/GRA area of Lokoja. The Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, has ordered the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation. The police spokesperson has appealed to the victim’s family, colleagues, and the public to provide credible information to aid the investigation.

Aiyepeku’s family has made a passionate appeal to police authorities and the Kogi government for justice. His father, Chief James Aiyepeku, described his son as gentle and hardworking, with no known quarrels at work, and called for justice. The family has also pleaded with the government to help retrieve Aiyepeku’s body and punish the perpetrators.

The deceased’s elder brother, Timothy Aiyepeku, and his uncle, Dr. Ibikunle Jide, have also appealed for justice. They described Aiyepeku as kind, humble, and hardworking, and said the family deserves justice for his untimely death. Dr. Jide commended the police for their swift response but urged intensified efforts to recover Aiyepeku’s body, stressing that the government must be proactive in finding the body promptly.

(NAN)