Lokoja Hotel Where suspected Killer Committed Suicide Shut As Search For Photojournalist Body Continues
The Chairman of Lokoja Local Government, Abdullahi Adamu, has ordered the immediate closure of Abidan 115 Hotel, where a fugitive, Mr Jacob Adebayo Pelumi, a Correctional Services staff wanted in connection to the murder of a photojournalist, allegedly committed suicide on Thursday.
Adamu confirmed the hotel’s closure in a letter made available to journalists on Friday in Lokoja.
Mr Ayobami Aiyepeku, a photojournalist, was allegedly murdered by Mr Jacob Adebayo Pelumi, a Correctional Services staff, on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in an office close to the Government House/GRA area of Lokoja.
The council boss said the temporary sealing of the hotel aims to preserve evidence and aid thorough investigation by relevant authorities.
Adamu, who has been on ground, expressed condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
He assured that the government remains committed to finding the body of the late Ayo Aiyepeku for a proper and dignified burial.
He urged the public to stay calm, noting that the government is working to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder and alleged suicide.
Ayobami’s body had yet to be recovered as at the time of this report on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Police Command in Kogi confirmed the alleged suicide on Thursday.
The Command’s spokesman, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, said Pelumi’s corpse was found in a Lokoja hotel room.
This was hours after the police began a manhunt for him in connection with the photojournalist’s murder.
The deceased’s family has appealed to police authorities and the Kogi government for justice.
Chief James Aiyepeku, the deceased’s father, pleaded with Governor Ahmed Ododo and security agencies to recover his son’s body and prosecute the culprits.
NAN