A disturbing tragedy has unfolded in Lokoja, Kogi State, where a correctional officer, Adebayo Pelumi, reportedly took his own life after being accused of murdering and dismembering a local photojournalist, Aiyepeku Ayo.
Pelumi, an officer with the Nigerian Correctional Service, was declared wanted following the gruesome killing of Ayo on Tuesday, July 22, at their shared residence in Lokoja’s Government Reserved Area (GRA).
According to reports, Pelumi had lured Ayo—who worked with Inside Story, a local media outfit—out of his office under the guise of needing help at his poultry farm, which was said to be within the same premises. As soon as Ayo stepped out, Pelumi allegedly attacked him with an iron rod, fatally striking him on the head.
Sources revealed that Ayo had company at the time but Pelumi was unaware. Eyewitness accounts suggest that following the killing, Pelumi dismembered Ayo’s body, locked a witness upstairs, concealed the remains in a freezer, and fled the scene in a Hilux van.
Security operatives later engaged him, shooting at his vehicle’s tyres. Though temporarily cornered, he managed to escape into a nearby forest.
However, on Thursday around 1:00 pm, police acting on intelligence found Pelumi’s lifeless body inside a hotel room in Lokoja. A bottle of Coca-Cola and a container of the toxic chemical “Sniper” were reportedly found beside him—suggesting he ingested the substance to end his life.
The hotel management notified the authorities, who confirmed the suspect’s identity and evacuated the body to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the incident and stated that investigations are ongoing to unravel the full circumstances surrounding the case.
