Gunmen have shot dead a popular comedian and media personality, Isaac Nwosu, also known as ‘Azia’, and an unidentified middle-aged man in separate attacks in Awka, Anambra State.
The incidents reportedly occurred on Sunday night, August 30, 2026, at two different locations in the state capital.
Nwosu was attacked along S.M. Okeke Street, Amaikwo, while the second victim was shot along Capital City Road, Amaenyi.
The reason for the attacks was not immediately known. However, residents and eyewitnesses reportedly suspected that the incident could be linked to cult-related activities.
An eyewitness said three men travelling in a tinted vehicle allegedly followed Nwosu from his residence before blocking his vehicle and opening fire.
“He was left in a pool of blood inside his car. After shooting him, they drove some distance away and also shot another man by the roadside,” the eyewitness told journalists on Monday.
The attackers reportedly took some belongings from the second victim before shooting into the air and fleeing the area.
Security operatives later arrived at the two locations and recovered the bodies of the victims.
The Anambra State Police Command confirmed the killings on Monday, saying preliminary investigations showed that three unidentified persons in a silver-coloured Toyota Corolla carried out the attacks.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the command had begun an investigation and appealed to residents to provide useful information.
“The Anambra State Police Command has condemned in the strongest terms the gunshot attacks carried out by unidentified gunmen in Awka, the State capital, on Sunday, August 30, 2026, which resulted in the deaths of two persons,” he said.
Ikenga added that police patrol teams were immediately deployed to the affected areas after receiving information about the attacks.
The bodies of the victims were recovered from Capital City Road, Amaenyi, and S.M. Okeke Street, Amaikwo, and taken to a hospital, where they were confirmed dead.
While the identity of one victim was yet to be established, the police identified the other as Isaac Nwosu, popularly known as ‘Azia’.
Police operatives also recovered ₦7,550, a Moniepoint ATM card and a pair of slippers from the scene.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Nnanna Ama, condemned the killings and described them as unacceptable and a threat to the peace and security of the state.
He ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for a discreet and thorough investigation.
Ama also directed security operatives to increase patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering in Awka and surrounding communities.
The police appealed to residents, community leaders, motorists, business owners and others who may have witnessed the attacks or have information about the suspects, their movements or the vehicle used in the operation to contact the authorities.
The command assured the public that information provided would be treated confidentially and urged residents to cooperate with security agencies to help arrest the suspects and prevent further attacks.
