A man named as Adebayo Pelumi suspected of killing a photo journalist in Lokoja, Kogi State has reportedly took his own life in a hotel room in Lokoja, Kogi state capital where he had checked in on the afternoon of Wednesday, 23 July, 2025, just two days after the alleged murder, reports thegazellenews.com.
It was gathered that Pelumi’s body was discovered around 1 p.m. on Thursday, 24 July, 2025 by a hotel steward who had gone to clean the room after checkout time.
A staff member of the hotel, who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed the sad incident saying, “He looked very calm when he arrived, nothing unusual. We had no idea he was a fugitive.”
Once notified, the hotel management alerted the police, who arrived at the scene and confirmed Pelumi was the prime suspect in the murder of Ayo Aiyepekun, a photo journalist with Inside Story, a local media platform in Lokoja.
The police transported the body to the mortuary at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
Recall that Pelumi had been the subject of a manhunt following the gruesome killing of Aiyepekun on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
The victim’s family had earlier appealed to the Kogi State Government and the Nigeria Police Force to ensure justice was served.
According to an eyewitness who works with Inside Story, the incident unfolded around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 July, 2025.
“We were editing videos and photos in the office when Adebayo called Ayo to assist him at his poultry farm. The farm is within the same compound where they both live,” the eyewitness recounted.
“Ayo stepped out to meet him, but what we didn’t know was that Adebayo had planned an attack. The moment Ayo got to him, he hit him repeatedly with an iron.”
The witness said he then saw Pelumi lift Ayo’s lifeless body into a deep freezer before attempting to move it into a Hilux van.
“That was when I knew something was terribly wrong and started shouting for help,” he added.
As at the time of filing this report, Kogi State Police Command has yet to comment on the alleged suicide.
