The police command in Kogi says a man suspected to be the killer of Mr Ayo Aiyepeku, a photo-journalist, Mr Jacob Adebayo Pelumi, has committed suicide.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, revealed this on Thursday in Lokoja.
Ovye-Aya said Pelumi’s corpse was found in a hotel room in Lokoja, hours after police launched a manhunt for him on Wednesday.
He reported: “The hotel management alerted us early Thursday morning to a corpse lying in one of the rooms.
“Upon responding, we discovered it was the suspect wanted in connection with the alleged killing of the photo-journalist.
“We found a suicide note and a bottle of Sniper insecticide beside his 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.
According to Ovye-Aya, Aiyepeku was gruesomely murdered on Tuesday night in an office near the Government House/GRA area of Lokoja.
His Hilux van has been recovered and is now parked at the ‘A’ Division station, along with a deep freezer found in the vehicle.
He stated that the Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, had ordered the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
Earlier, the deceased’s family made a passionate appeal to police authorities and the Kogi government for justice.
Chief James Aiyepeku, father of the deceased, said his son was assassinated in cold blood and called for justice.
He described Ayobami as gentle and hardworking, with no known quarrels at work over the last four years.
He pleaded with Governor Ahmed Ododo and security agencies to help retrieve his son’s body and punish the perpetrators.
Mr Timothy Aiyepeku, the deceased’s elder brother, and his uncle, Dr Ibikunle Jide, also appealed for justice.
Timothy said: “As I speak, we have yet to recover the body of my younger brother.”
He described Ayobami as kind, humble and hardworking, saying the family deserves justice for his untimely death.
He appealed to the Federal and Kogi State governments and police authorities to uncover the mystery behind the killing.
Jide commended the police for their swift response but urged intensified efforts to recover Ayobami’s body.
He stressed that government must be proactive, as every hand must be on deck to find the body promptly.
“We also thank the media for ensuring the incident receives wide coverage and public attention,” he added.
NAN
