AWKA — The Anambra State Police Command has launched a manhunt for unidentified gunmen who shot dead a popular Awka town crier and comedian, Isaac Nwosu, popularly known as “Aiza”, and another man in separate attacks in Awka on Sunday night.
Nwosu was reportedly shot inside his pickup van, which he used for public announcements.
The police said preliminary investigations revealed that three unidentified persons travelling in a silver-coloured Toyota Corolla, with its registration number yet to be ascertained, allegedly carried out the attacks at separate locations within Awka.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, police operatives who responded to the incidents recovered the bodies of the victims along Capital City Road, Amaenyi, and S.M. Okeke Street, Amaikwo, Awka.
The victims were taken to a hospital, where medical personnel confirmed them dead.
While one of the victims is yet to be identified, the second was identified as Nwosu, popularly known as “Aiza”.
Police operatives also recovered the sum of ₦7,550, a Moniepoint ATM card and a pair of slippers from the scenes.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, condemned the killings, describing them as a dastardly act and a direct affront to the peace and security of the state.
The CP has ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for discreet and comprehensive investigation.
Meanwhile, security operatives have intensified patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across Awka and adjoining areas as efforts to track down the suspects continue.
The police appealed to community leaders, residents, motorists, business owners and other members of the public who may have witnessed the attacks or have credible information about the suspects, their movements or the vehicle allegedly used in the operation to come forward.
The command assured that all information provided would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
It also reiterated that community partnership remained critical to effective policing and urged residents to provide timely information that could help security agencies apprehend the perpetrators and prevent further attacks.
