Lokoja Correctional Officer Who Slaughtered and Dismembered Photojournalist Neighbour Commits Suicide in Hotel

Adebayo Pelumi, an officer with the Nigerian Correctional Service and the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of Kogi-based photojournalist Aiyepeku Ayo, has taken his own life in a Lokoja hotel room. The incident marks a chilling turn in the case that has shocked residents of Kogi State and beyond.

Pelumi had been declared wanted after allegedly killing and dismembering Ayo on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at their shared residence in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Lokoja. According to earlier reports, Pelumi lured Ayo, who worked with the online platform Inside Story, out of his office under the pretext of needing assistance at his poultry farm within the compound.

Eyewitnesses revealed that once Ayo stepped outside, Pelumi struck him in the head with an iron rod and dragged him away. Ayo, unaware that Pelumi had come armed, had no time to react or defend himself. The attack was described as sudden and brutal. Pelumi then reportedly dismembered Ayo’s body, locked a witness in an upstairs room, stuffed the remains into a freezer, and fled the scene in a Hilux van.

He returned to the compound later but fled again when he spotted security operatives. Despite his vehicle being disabled by gunfire, he escaped into a nearby bush, abandoning the freezer, which was later found empty.

On Thursday, July 24, around 1 p.m., police acting on intelligence traced Pelumi to a hotel room in Lokoja. There, they discovered his lifeless body alongside a bottle of Coca-Cola and a container of Sniper insecticide, indicating he had taken his own life. The hotel management alerted authorities, who confirmed his identity and moved the body to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja.

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the development and stated that investigations into the case remain ongoing.