Police recover body of murdered photojournalist in Kogi

The Police Command in Kogi says it has recovered the body of Ayo Aiyepeku, a photojournalist, allegedly murdered by his colleague, Oluwapelumi Adebayo.

NAN reports that Williams Ovye-Aya, the police spokesperson, confirmed the development in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday.

Ovye-Aya said Aiyepeku’s body was found on Sunday evening at a location around the WAEC office, Crusher Zone 8 axis in Lokoja.

“Yes, the corpse of the photojournalist has been found. It was discovered on Sunday evening somewhere around the WAEC office, Zone 8 axis of Lokoja,” NAN quoted the police spokesperson as saying.

“The corpse has been deposited at Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja. The discreet investigation will help us uncover what truly happened.”

He appealed to the victim’s family, colleagues, and the public to provide credible information to aid the investigation.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s family has made a passionate appeal to police authorities and the Kogi government for justice.

Timothy Aiyepeku, the deceased’s elder brother, and his uncle, Ibikunle Jide, appealed for justice.

They pleaded with Ahmed Ododo, governor of Kogi, and security agencies to help unravel the mystery behind Ayobami’s gruesome murder and punish the perpetrators.

“Now that the body has been found, we once again appeal to the Federal and Kogi governments and police authorities to uncover the mystery behind the killing,” they said.

“We commend the police for their effort so far and the media for ensuring the incident receives wide coverage and public attention.”

The police spokesperson said Aiyepeku was gruesomely murdered by his colleague, Oluwapelumi Adebayo, on Tuesday night, July 22, in an office near the government house/GRA area of Lokoja.

Aiyepeku’s assailant had, after killing him, loaded his corpse into a deep freezer and disposed of it.

It was gathered his body was found by residents of the area who raised an alarm.

Residents were said to have been attracted to a nearby bush in the area by the foul odour from the decomposing body of the late photographer.

On sighting his corpse, residents alerted Abdullahi Adamu, the chairman of Lokoja LG, who immediately arrived at the spot in the company of some security agents to recover the body.