Photojournalist Commits Suicide After Allegedly Killing Colleague in Kogi

A Nigerian photographer in Kogi State has allegedly committed suicide after reportedly murdering his colleague in Lokoja.

The suspect, identified as Adebayo Pelumi, was found dead in a hotel room on Thursday afternoon, two days after allegedly killing his neighbour and fellow photojournalist, Ayo Aiyepekun, who worked with Inside Story online media.

According to sources, Adebayo checked into the hotel on Wednesday afternoon. His lifeless body was discovered around 1 p.m. on Thursday by a hotel steward during routine cleaning at check-out time. The hotel promptly alerted authorities, and police confirmed the deceased as the suspect in Tuesday’s murder.

The body was subsequently moved to the mortuary at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.

Tuesday’s incident sent shockwaves through the local media community. Ayo was reportedly lured out of the office by Adebayo under the pretext of assisting him at his poultry farm, located within their shared compound. An eyewitness claimed that Ayo was bludgeoned with an iron and later seen being dragged toward a deep freezer by the suspect.

The witness, who was editing alongside the victim before the incident occurred, said the suspect seemed unaware of his presence. Alarm was raised after he saw Adebayo attempting to load the body into a Hilux van.

The tragic turn of events sparked an outcry from the late Ayo’s family, who had earlier appealed to the Kogi State Government and the Nigeria Police to ensure justice was served. Their appeal reportedly prompted an immediate manhunt for the suspect.

As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the Kogi State Police Command, SP Williams Ovye, has not made an official statement regarding the incident.