Unidentified gunmen have shot dead popular comedian and media personality, Isaac Nwosu, popularly known as âAiza Nwosu,â and another unidentified middle-aged man in separate attacks in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
The incidents occurred on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at S.M. Okeke Street, Amaikwo, and Capital City Road, Amaenyi, Awka, throwing residents into panic as the assailants reportedly fired several shots before fleeing the areas.
The Anambra State Police Command confirmed the killings on Monday, saying three unidentified persons travelling in a silver-coloured Toyota Corolla were allegedly responsible for the attacks.
The registration number of the vehicle had not been ascertained as of Monday.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives were immediately mobilised to the affected locations after receiving distress calls and had commenced a manhunt for the suspects.
Ikenga said the bodies of the two victims were recovered from separate locations and taken to a hospital, where medical personnel confirmed them dead.
While one of the victims remained unidentified, the police identified the second victim as Isaac Nwosu, also known as âAiza.â
An eyewitness who spoke about the attack on the comedian alleged that the assailants appeared to have trailed him from his residence before carrying out the attack.
According to the eyewitness, the gunmen, numbering about three and travelling in a tinted vehicle, followed Nwosu from his home, double-crossed his vehicle and shot him dead.
âThe assailants, numbering about three and driving in a tinted vehicle, trailed the comedian from his home, double-crossed his vehicle and later attacked him, shooting him dead. They left the victim in a pool of blood inside his car,â the eyewitness said.
The witness further alleged that the attackers subsequently drove some distance away before shooting another man by the roadside and dispossessing him of his belongings.
âAs they drove some distance away, they also shot another victim dead by the roadside, dispossessed him of his belongings and fled,â the eyewitness added.
The witness said the assailants fired several shots into the air before leaving the area in what was described as a âcommando-like manner,â creating panic among residents.
Following the attacks, security operatives reportedly arrived at the affected locations and recovered the bodies, while security was subsequently strengthened around the areas.
The police said operatives recovered âŚ7,550, one Moniepoint ATM card and a pair of slippers from the scenes of the attacks.
The motive behind the killings had not been established as of Monday.
However, residents and eyewitnesses reportedly suspected that the attacks could be connected to cult-related activities, although the police had not confirmed such a link.
Condemning the killings, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, described the attacks as unacceptable and a direct affront to the peace and security of the state.
The commissioner ordered that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for a discreet and comprehensive investigation.
He also directed security operatives to intensify patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across Awka and neighbouring communities in a bid to prevent further attacks and apprehend those responsible.
The command appealed to community leaders, residents, motorists, business owners and other members of the public who witnessed the attacks or have credible information about the suspects, their movements or the vehicle used in the killings to assist the police with useful information.
The police assured members of the public that information supplied would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
Ikenga said the Anambra State Police Command remained committed to working with communities to strengthen security and prevent further loss of lives.
âThe Anambra State Police Command reiterates that community partnership remains critical to effective policing and urges residents not to hesitate to provide timely information that could assist in apprehending the perpetrators and preventing further attacks,â he said.