FATHER OF MURDERED KOGI PHOTOJOURNALIST DIES OF STROKE AMID FAMILY’S CALL FOR JUSTICE
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Agency Report
Chief James Aiyepeku, father of slain photojournalist Ayobami Aiyepeku, has died less than a month after his son’s gruesome murder in Kogi State.
Aiyepeku passed away on Tuesday, August 12, reportedly from a stroke triggered by the shock and trauma of his son’s killing on July 22.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday at the family residence in Lokoja, the late journalist’s elder brother, Mr. Timothy Aiyepeku, said their father had never recovered from the emotional devastation.
“On Wednesday, August 6, after rushing out to finalise arrangements for the release of Ayobami’s corpse for burial, I returned home to the news that my father had collapsed and was hospitalised,” Timothy recalled.
“Although there were early signs of recovery, his condition worsened until he passed away on Tuesday.”
The grieving brother alleged possible foul play in Ayobami’s death, noting the mysterious disappearance of both the victim’s phone and that of the prime suspect, who reportedly died by suicide.
“We are urging the police to leave no stone unturned in their investigation,” he said. “We believe they can do the job if they put in the required resources. We want justice for my brother.”
Timothy added that, despite the double tragedy, the family remains steadfast in their faith that both divine and legal justice will prevail.
The Kogi State Police Command had earlier identified Ayobami’s colleague, Oluwapelumi Adebayo, as the prime suspect in the July 22 murder, which occurred in an office at GRA, near the Government House in Lokoja.
Police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP) Williams Ovye-Aya, said Adebayo was found dead in a hotel room on July 23, just hours after a manhunt was launched for him.
The Aiyepeku family awaits further updates from the ongoing police investigation.
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