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• Kogi gov orders full investigation • Suspected perpetrator commits suicide
From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
A pall of sorrow and grief has enveloped the family of Chief James Aiyepeku, father of 26-year-old Titus Ayobami Aiyepeku, who was murdered by his friend, Oluwapelumi Tolani Adebayo in Lokoja.
Until his untimely death, Aiyepeku worked as photojournalist for online newspaper, Inside Story, while Adebayo was a Deputy Superintendent at the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Lokoja.
Ayobami studied Political Science at Federal University, Lokoja and graduated in 2021. During his university days, he developed skills in photography and cinematography, which later defined his professional journey. While in school, he did all manner of menial jobs to pay his fees. After serving in the National Youth Service Corps, he built a reputation as a creative professional known for excellence, integrity, and dedication.
He showed great commitment to supporting his parents and the other members of his family. Not long before his gruesome murder, he had made effort to raise money to pay the bills for ailing mother, who was on admission at a hospital for a surgery to save her life. The surgery was to cost about N500,000. To foot the bill, he was said to have sold some personal belongings. The surgery turned out successful. The outcome gave him cause to rejoice and give thanks to God, for saving the life of his mum. But few days later as the mum was still recuperating in the hospital, his sun suddenly set as he was gruesomely murdered by Adebayo – a friend he was said to have trusted so much. With his demise, the future he had been labouring to build collapsed irredeemably like packs of cards.
As Sunday Sun gathered, Adebayo had came around the office on the fateful evening of Tuesday, July 22nd at about 7.00 pm, where he had a poultry farm at the back of the facility. Unknown to Ayo, he had a wicked plan to execute against him. At some point he called Ayo to help him move a deep freezer into his vehicle which was parked in the compound.
Without any suspicion of danger lurking around, Ayo agreed to help him move the freezer into the Toyota Hilux vehicle.
As he turned to go back into the office, Adebayo, a heavily built individual allegedly hit him with a hard object on the head. He fell down, screaming for help but he was overpowered as Adebayo continued to hit ferociously until he died.
Due primarily to providence, and unknown to the assailant, one of his colleagues, Goodness Ujah, was in the office and had witnessed what happened. Adebayo swiftly carried the dead body of Aiyepeku into the vehicle and zoomed off.
While narrating what he witnessed, Ujah said he heard the distress call of his colleague, who was shouting repeatedly, “Goodness, please help me” as he was being hit by Adebayo, but said he could not come out for fear of being attacked. He, however, swiftly alerted the security.
Fortunately, as Sunday Sun learnt from a source, the Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu, who was passing by, was attracted by the distress call of Goodness. He immediately mobilized the vigilante personnel to trace the assailant.
The source said: “On the ground was Mr Goodness Ujah, distraught, rolling and crying in visible panic. Through his gasps came the chilling words:
‘He took this boy… he put him in the deep freezer in the Hilux… please help me… I know the perpetrator’s house.”
“As they were contemplating on what to do, the assailant emerged with his SUV and the vigilantes gave him a hot chase through the streets of the state capital. He was able to escape into the bush by abandoning the vehicle along Lokoja-Abuja highway.
“The manhunt intensified. The Kogi Vigilante Service (KGVS) Commander drove like Formula-1 racing car driver, following the Hilux, bumper to bumper. Others also displayed different forms of driving skills. Adebayo drove along the Lokoja–Abuja expressway. Using a tactical diversion, he deliberately allowed a trailer to hit his rear, causing brief confusion. Then, in a split second, he jumped out and disappeared into the thick, rain-fed vegetation near the riverbanks of River Niger.”
This drew the ire of the police who promptly declared him wanted and then launched a manhunt to arrest him and recover the remains of the slain photojournalist.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, told newsmen on Wednesday that the matter was reported to the police in the early hours of July 23. He said “Police detectives immediately commenced investigations in earnest.”
He said further: “We are on the trail of the suspected killer of the victim to bring him to book. It’s a very sad and unfortunate incident given the way and manner the victim (Aiyepeku) was killed.
“We are calling on the public to avail the police with any information about the whereabouts of the suspect, who is currently on the run.
“The alleged assailant, identified as Mr. Adebayo Pelumi, who is currently on the run, was said to be a close friend and colleague of the deceased.”
On Thursday the police had made an inroad. The Commend announced that the prime suspect had committed suicide. The Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, said Adebayo’s corpse was found in a hotel room in Lokoja, hours after police launched a manhunt for him.
“The hotel management alerted us early Thursday morning to a corpse lying in one of the rooms.
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“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. The suicide note conveyed this message: Hopelessness, emptiness, death is a bliss over the edge – Adebayo. God forgive my soul, don’t tell my son what his father did (Impulse control disorder).
“Adebayo’s body has been deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, for autopsy to determine the actual cause of death,” the PPRO said.
The police spokesman also said the Hilux vehicle allegedly used by Adebayo was recovered and is in the custody of the Command at the ‘A’ Division station along with the deep freezer found in the vehicle.
As a follow up to the police action, the Lokoja Local Government Chairman, immediately announced the closure of the hotel where Adebayo allegedly committed suicide.
However, the body of the slain photojournalist was recovered at a bush path along Zone 8, Kogi House of Assembly road on Thursday afternoon.
It was not immediately known whether any part of the body was tampered with as the body was said to have started to decompose. His corpse was handed over to the family for a befitting burial while the police continue with their investigations.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s family while speaking to newsmen made a passionate appeal to the police authorities and the Kogi State government to do a thorough investigation over the matter and let justice prevail.
Narrating his ordeal, Chief James Aiyepeku, father of the deceased, said his son on the fateful day told him he was rushing to the office for an assignment and that he would come back to eat his breakfast.
Chief Aiyepeku said he called his son’s number three times before he eventually took the call and assured him that he would come home. He was, however, surprised and wondered why the number could no longer connect in the evening until he went to the church for a vigil. He said he still tried to phone by 9 pm that night without success.
“It was at this point, I became restless and scared because Ayo would not see my call without responding. I got home early in the morning from the church vigil fidgeting, only to be told that my beloved son had been killed.”
With tears welling up in his eyes he said: “What has my son done to deserve this gruesome murder? Ayo was a quiet, easy going, hard working boy. He was not used to keeping late nights and he never had quarrels with anyone.
“It is Ayo’s turn today, who knows who is next? The boy must not be allowed to die in vain. The state government should pursue this case to a logical conclusion and the police should do a thorough job to unearth what really happened.
“Yes, as a family, we may not have anyone to really fight for us, but we surely have God who is the judge of all and all mortals must return to Him one day.” he sighed repeatedly
Also begging for justice is Timothy Aiyepeku, the deceased’s elder brother, and his uncle, Dr Ibikunle Jide, who described Ayobami as kind, humble and hardworking, saying the family deserves justice for his untimely death.
Dr ibikunle particularly cautioned the youths to know the kind of friends they keep and urged them to allow the fear of God to dominate their affairs saying evil times are here.
The state government also swiftly reacted to the incident saying it would be resolute in its quest for justice for the slain photojournalist.
In a statement, the Kogi Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said Governor Ahmed Ododo has directed security agencies to conduct thorough investigation to unravel the incident surrounding Ayo’s gruesome murder.
“Justice may not bring the dead back to life, but it will console the family of the deceased that their son did not die in vain.
“The safety and security of our people remain a top priority of our administration. The government will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice, to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous act do not go unpunished.
“The investigation into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder and the subsequent death of the prime suspect is ongoing,” the government said.
He urged the general public to remain security-conscious and support ongoing investigations by volunteering credible information to law enforcement agencies.
