A disturbing tragedy unfolded in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, as Deputy Superintendent of Corrections, Olorunpelumi Jacob, reportedly took his own life barely 48 hours after allegedly murdering a local photojournalist.
The deceased suspect, an officer attached to the Nigeria Correctional Service in the state, is believed to have gruesomely killed Ayo Aiyepeku, a photojournalist with Inside Story Online, before dismembering his body and hiding the remains in a deep freezer.
The horrific incident occurred on Tuesday night at the premises of Inside Story Online, located near the Government House/GRA axis of Lokoja.
It was gathered that Jacob, who also maintained a farm on the compound, lured Aiyepeku out of the office around 7:30 pm under the guise of needing assistance to load a freezer into his vehicle.
There, he allegedly struck the journalist with a blunt object, rendering him unconscious before mutilating his body.
Unbeknownst to Jacob, a colleague of the deceased was still in the office and had heard Aiyepeku’s distress cries during the attack.
The assailant reportedly fled the scene in a Hilux van, only to return later — likely unaware he had been overheard.
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The Kogi State Police Command, confirming the murder on Wednesday, declared the suspect wanted and urged members of the public to report any sighting.
Less than 24 hours later, on Thursday afternoon, Jacob was found dead in a private apartment within Lokoja.
Police operatives, acting on a tip-off, discovered his lifeless body alongside a beverage bottle and a container believed to contain poison — raising strong indications of suicide.
While authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the murder, investigations are ongoing to uncover the events leading up to the chilling crime and subsequent suicide.
The incident has sparked shock and outrage across Kogi’s media and civil society communities, who are now demanding justice and deeper scrutiny into mental health support and disciplinary procedures within the Correctional Service.
As of press time, neither the Nigeria Correctional Service nor Inside Story Online had issued formal statements on the tragedy.