Photojournalist Killed In Lokoja Incident

A tragic incident occurred in Lokoja as Ayo Aiyepekun, a photojournalist with Inside Story, was murdered on Tuesday. He was allegedly killed by his neighbor, Adebayo Pelumi, who resides in the same compound that houses the Inside Story office.

According to an eyewitness who works with Inside Story, the incident unfolded while he and the victim were engaged in video and photo editing inside the office. The suspect, Adebayo, reportedly called Ayo to assist him at his poultry farm located within the same compound.

“It was around 7:30 pm when the suspect called him, but he didn’t know that Ayo was not the only person in the office. Immediately, Ayo gets out, and Adebayo hits him with an iron repeatedly and killed him there.”

The eyewitness claimed he then observed Adebayo attempting to conceal the crime by placing the victim’s body into a deep freezer before transferring it to his Hilux van. Realizing what had happened, the witness raised an alarm.

“I called some people on the phone who mobilized the vigilante in the area, but before they came, Adebayo had made away with the dead body.”

Despite a search of the compound with the vigilantes, only bloodstains were found—both in the freezer and around the poultry area.

“While the vigilantes were still with us, the suspect drove into the compound with his van, and when he saw us, he turned back and refused to stop, but the vigilantes chased him, and along the line, his car had an accident during the chase, which made him jump out of the vehicle and run away.”

The van was reportedly stained with blood, intensifying suspicions that the killing may have had ritualistic motives, especially as the body was still missing at the time of reporting.

The matter was officially reported to the State Police Headquarters in Lokoja on Wednesday.

The suspect, Adebayo Pelumi, is believed to be an employee of the Correctional Centre. Sources also revealed that his wife had separated from him two months earlier due to repeated incidents of domestic violence.