Ayo Pelumi, the man accused of brutally killing a Kogi-based photojournalist, Ayobami Aiyepeku, has been found dead in a hotel room, in what police suspect to be a case of suicide.
Pelumi, who was said to be a close friend of the victim, allegedly attacked Aiyepeku around 8:30 pm on Tuesday. According to reports, he smashed the victim’s head with an iron object, rendering him unconscious, and then proceeded to dismember him.
It was further gathered that Pelumi loaded parts of the victim’s body into his Hilux van and sped off to an unknown destination. However, he later returned to the premises only to meet security operatives—including vigilantes and sympathisers—who had responded to a distress call raised by the victim’s colleague.
As Pelumi attempted to flee the scene again, security operatives shot at the tyres of his vehicle. Despite this, he managed to escape.
The manhunt for him ended on Thursday afternoon when police officers, acting on a tip-off, stormed a lodge and recovered his lifeless body.
“He lodged in our hotel on Wednesday afternoon but was found dead around 1 pm on Thursday,” a hotel staff member, who pleaded anonymity, revealed.
Investigators also found a bottle of Coca-Cola and a container of Sniper insecticide in the hotel room, leading to suspicions that Pelumi took his own life.
The hotel management immediately alerted the police, who confirmed the identity of the deceased as the prime suspect in the murder case.
The police later moved Pelumi’s remains to the mortuary of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, while investigations continue.