{"id":120980,"date":"2025-07-25T05:19:42","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T04:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=120980"},"modified":"2025-07-25T05:19:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T04:19:42","slug":"killer-of-lokoja-photojournalist-commits-suicide-in-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/killer-of-lokoja-photojournalist-commits-suicide-in-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"Killer of Lokoja Photojournalist Commits Suicide in Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Tracy Moses<\/div>\n
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The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the death of Adebayo Pelumi, the man accused of brutally murdering a Lokoja-based photojournalist, Ayo Aiyepekun.<\/div>\n
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Pelumi, an officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service, allegedly took his own life in a hotel room in Lokoja, the state capital, barely 48 hours after the heinous crime.<\/div>\n
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The Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya, who spoke to Pointblanknews.com on Thursday, said the lifeless body of Pelumi was discovered around 1:00 p.m. in one of the hotel rooms after a staff member attempted to clean the room during the usual checkout routine.<\/div>\n
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\u201cUpon receiving a distress call from the hotel management, our operatives swiftly arrived at the scene and identified the deceased as the prime suspect in the ongoing murder investigation of Mr. Ayo Aiyepekun,\u201d Aya stated.<\/div>\n
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He added that the corpse had been evacuated and deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital morgue in Lokoja for further examination and autopsy.<\/div>\n
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A staff member of the hotel, who asked not to be named, told Pointblanknews.com that Pelumi checked into the hotel on Wednesday afternoon and showed no signs of distress. \u201cHe seemed calm and composed. None of us suspected anything. It was shocking to discover his lifeless body the next day,\u201d the staff recounted.<\/div>\n
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Pelumi\u2019s death comes just two days after the gruesome murder of Aiyepekun, a seasoned photojournalist with Inside Story, an online media outlet based in Lokoja. The late Aiyepekun was reportedly lured out of his office by Pelumi under the pretense of assisting him at his poultry farm, located within the same compound where both men lived.<\/div>\n
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Narrating the chilling events to Pointblanknews.com, one of Aiyepekun\u2019s colleagues who was present on the night of the incident said, \u201cWe were editing a video together when Adebayo called him. He told Ayo he needed help at his poultry. Ayo stepped out to assist him, but unfortunately, that was the last time we saw him alive.\u201d<\/div>\n
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According to the colleague, who also works with Inside Story, he became suspicious when he noticed unusual activity outside the compound. \u201cI saw Adebayo dragging something into a deep freezer. Moments later, he moved what I now know was Ayo\u2019s body into his Hilux van. That\u2019s when I raised the alarm,\u201d the eyewitness revealed.<\/div>\n
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The tragic event has thrown the media community in Kogi into mourning. Colleagues and friends of the late journalist are demanding a thorough investigation and justice, even in the wake of the suspect\u2019s death.<\/div>\n
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In a statement, the Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) expressed shock and grief over the murder of Aiyepekun, describing him as \u201ca committed and passionate journalist whose life was cut short in his prime.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The Chairman of the union, Mr. Adeiza Momoh Jimoh, while speaking with Pointblanknews.com, said: \u201cThis is a huge loss to the journalism profession. Ayo was a young, vibrant, and promising journalist. We urge the police to continue with their investigation and ensure that any possible accomplices are brought to justice.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Meanwhile, residents of the community where the two men lived are still reeling from the incident. A neighbor who identified herself simply as Mrs. Grace said the development has left everyone stunned. \u201cWe lived together peacefully. I never imagined Adebayo could do something like this. He was quiet, respectful\u2026 but no one truly knows the heart of a man,\u201d she said.<\/div>\n
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As investigations continue, police say they are not ruling out the possibility of Pelumi having acted alone or whether others may have helped conceal the crime.<\/div>\n
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