A Kogi-based photojournalist, Aiyepeku Ayo, has reportedly been murdered and dismembered by his neighbour, Adebayo Pelumi, an officer with the Nigerian Correctional Service, in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
The tragic incident took place on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, within a residential compound in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Lokoja, where both the victim and the suspect lived.
According to reports by the True Crime Tony, Ayo was in his office editing photos and videos when Pelumi allegedly called him outside.
“Adebayo told Ayo that he needed help with something at his poultry farm. This poultry farm was said to have been located within the same compound,” the report said.
“Ayo got up immediately to go and assist Adebayo. Meanwhile, Adebayo had no idea that Ayo was not alone in the office that evening.”
The report continued, “So, as soon as Ayo stepped outside the office to follow him to the poultry farm, Adebayo struck without any warning.
“He had come prepared with an iron rod, and he was shot in the head. The attack was swift and merciless, leaving Ayo no chance to defend himself or even understand what was happening to him.”
An eyewitness who was present in the office at the time of the attack reportedly watched the incident unfold.
The suspect reportedly dismembered the victim’s body, placed the parts in a freezer, and attempted to conceal the evidence.
He later reportedly locked the eyewitness inside a room upstairs before fleeing the scene with the freezer.
The eyewitness, however, managed to alert local vigilantes, who arrived promptly and contacted security operatives. Adebayo later returned to the scene but took off on sighting the vigilantes, leading to a high-speed chase through the streets of Lokoja.
His vehicle was eventually hit from behind by another car. He then abandoned the vehicle and fled into a nearby bush. When police recovered the vehicle, the freezer was found empty.
Ayo was a graduate in Political Science from the Federal University, Lokoja, and worked as a photojournalist for the online news platform ‘Inside Story’.
Adebayo, who is from Kogi State, was reportedly known for his violent behaviour.
His wife reportedly left him two months earlier due to domestic abuse, and there are claims he may have been involved in drug use. Some reports have also linked the motive of the murder to suspected ritual purposes.
When contacted, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident. The Police Public Relations Officer, Williams Aya, stated that the matter was reported to the command on the same day it occurred.
He added that officers responded swiftly to the scene and recovered the suspect’s vehicle, but that the suspect fled into the bush before he could be apprehended.
“The case was reported to us on 22nd July. Police were able to rush to the scene of the incident and a vehicle was recovered while the suspect ran into the push,” Aya said.
“Police are currently investigating the matter and we will ensure the perpetrator is brought to book,” he added.
The post Kogi Prison Officer Flees After Killing, Dismembering Photojournalist Neighbour, Stuffing Body Parts In Freezer appeared first on The Bureau Newspaper.
