* Body parts missing
A photojournalist working with Inside Story in Lokoja, Ayo Aiyepekun has been murdered, by a suspected ritualist, working with Nigeria Correctional Service
Ayo was said to have been killed on Tuesday night by his neighbour, Adebayo Pelumi who resides in the same compound housing the Inside Story office.
According to an eye witness who worked with the InsideStory, said he was in the office with the victims doing some video and photo editing when the suspect called the victim to help him out in his poultry farm which is inside the same compound.
”It was around 7:30pm when the suspect called him, but he didn’t know that Ayo was not the only person in the office. Immediately Ayo got out, Adebayo hit him with iron repeatedly and killed him instantly.
The eye witness said he saw the suspect lifting the body into a deep freezer before moving the body into his Hilux Van prompting him to raise alarm, “I called some people on the phone who mobilized the vigilante in the area, but before they could arrive , Adebayo has made away with the dead body.
The witness said along with the vigilante, they searched the area but could only see blood stained freezer and around the poultry stall.
”While the vigilante 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 vigilante chased him and along the line, his car had an accident which made him jumped out of the vehicle and ran away.”
The witness said the van was also stained with human blood. He said while the body was yet to be recovered, they feared that ritual may be the reason for the murder.
The case was however reported on Wednesday at the State Police Headquarters in Lokoja.
The suspect, Adebayo Pelumi is said to be a staff of the Correctional centre, whose wife separated from him two months ago due to constant battery.
