By Ghazali Ibrahim
Adebayo Pelumi, the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of Kogi-based photojournalist Ayo Aiyepekun, has reportedly taken his own life while on the run from security operatives.
Pelumi was accused of killing his colleague and friend around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to investigators, he allegedly struck Aiyepeku on the head with an iron object, rendering him unconscious, before dismembering the body.
He then allegedly packed the remains into his Hilux van and fled the scene.
Security operatives, including vigilantes, responded to a distress call from one of the victim’s colleagues.
When Pelumi attempted to drive away, officers reportedly shot at the tyres of his vehicle, forcing him to abandon it and escape on foot.
Two days later, on Thursday afternoon, police acting on a tip-off stormed a hotel where Pelumi had lodged.
His lifeless body was discovered inside the room, alongside an empty bottle of Coca-Cola and a container of sniper, a toxic insecticide suspected to have been ingested.
A staff member of the hotel, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the suspect checked in on Wednesday afternoon but was found dead around 1 p.m. on Thursday.
“He booked a room quietly and didn’t draw any attention. We were shocked when we found him dead. We immediately contacted the police,” the source said.
However, the sudden death has raised different concerns about the involvement of syndicate in the gruesome act of the photo-journalist, seem to have shut him in order to conceal the secret.
This is due to the state he was in the hotel when found— naked, the lack of documentation on the hotel and proper coverage.
The police have moved Pelumi’s body to the morgue at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, as investigations into both deaths continue.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the case, but sources within the Kogi State Police Command indicated that the investigation will also focus on uncovering the motive behind the shocking crime.
