Jacob Adebayo Pelumi, the suspected killer of photo-journalist Ayo Aiyepeku, has allegedly committed suicide.
The spokesperson for the Kogi State Police command’s spokesperson, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, disclosed this on Thursday in Lokoja.
Ovye-Aya said Pelumi’s corpse was discovered in a hotel room in Lokoja, hours after police launched a manhunt for him on Wednesday.
“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,” he said.
Pelumi’s body has been deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, for autopsy to determine the actual cause of death.
Ovye-Aya said Aiyepeku was gruesomely murdered on Tuesday night in an office near the Government House/GRA area of Lokoja.
He said the Hilux vehicle allegedly used by Pelumi has been recovered and is now parked at the ‘A’ Division station, adding that a deep freezer found in the vehicle has also been taken into custody by the police.
Regarding the whereabouts of Aiyepeku’s body, Ovye-Aya said efforts to locate it are ongoing.
He stated that the Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, has ordered the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
“The discreet investigation will help us uncover what truly happened,” Ovye-Aya said.
He appealed to the victim’s family, colleagues, and the public to provide credible information to aid the investigation.
Earlier, the deceased’s family made a passionate appeal to police authorities and the Kogi government for justice.
