By Adeyemi Babarinde Sunday.
Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, was thrown into mourning on Tuesday night following the gruesome murder of a young photojournalist, Aiyepeku Ayo.
Ayo was allegedly killed by a man identified as Adebayo Pelumi, his neighbour who reside in the same compound situated at GRA Lokoja.
A source, who spoke to reporter under the condition of anonymity, said he was in the office while the slain photojournalist was working on video and photo editing when the suspect called the victim to help him out in his poultry farm which is inside the same compound.
”It was around 7:30pm when the suspect called him, but he didn’t know that Ayo was not the only person in the office. Immediately Ayo get out, Adebayo hit him with iron repeatedly and killed him there,” the source said.
The suspect allegedly dismembered the victim’s body and placed the remains inside the freezer he had brought, before discovering there was another person in the compound. He then locked the eyewitness inside a room upstairs and fled the scene with the freezer in his vehicle.
The eyewitness, after the suspect departed, managed to alert local vigilantes who responded promptly and freed him. Security operatives were immediately notified.
Reports say the suspect, on returning toward the house and seeing the vigilante presence, sped off in panic toward Nataco Junction. Security operatives gave him a chase, during which a shot was fired and another vehicle collided with his from behind. He subsequently abandoned the vehicle and escaped into nearby bushes.
“The police later recovered the vehicle and the freezer, but the freezer was empty. He had either disposed of the body or handed it to an accomplice,” the source said.
The suspected murderer is said to hail from Odo Akodi compound, Ekinrin-Adde, Ijumu local government area of Kogi state.
The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) confirmed the incident on Wednesday
“The matter was reported to the Divisional Police Officer, A Division on the killing of Ayo which is culpable homicide. After they lodged the complaint, the Police swung into action by going to the scene. Investigation has commenced.
“The Commissioner of Police CP Miller Dantawaye has given the DPO a directive to transfer the matter to State CID because they are the one handling matters concerning homicide for discrete investigation. Efforts is ongoing to get the suspect who is currently at large. He will be apprehended and prosecuted accordingly,” he stated.
