Suspected cultists shot and killed a popular town crier and comedian known as Aiza Nwosu alongside another man during a violent Sunday evening attack in Awka, Anambra State.
A Sunday Evening Ambush on SM Okeke Street
The first assault unfolded in the crowded Amaenyi neighbourhood, where armed assailants shot two men. That initial gunfire triggered a chaotic stampede that left numerous bystanders injured.
Minutes later, a second deadly attack struck SM Okeke Street. The primary target was Mr Aiza Nwosu, a well-known local comedian and town crier who routinely broadcast announcements and music from his loudspeaker-fitted Hilux truck. Armed men trailing him in a Toyota Corolla with tinted windows intercepted his vehicle, boxed him in, and opened fire.
Witnesses noted that the comedian was caught completely unawares. He died behind the steering wheel while music continued blaring from his sound system, sending his car careening into a ditch. While local residents testified that Nwosu himself had no known history of cult involvement, neighbourhood accounts suggested that family affiliations may have drawn the attention of the attackers.
Statewide Security Operations and Police Response
The bloodshed in Awka unfolded amid a broader security crisis across Anambra State. Earlier in the month, Anambra Police Command operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad in Awkuzu engaged in a fatal gun duel with suspected armed robbers and kidnappers along Eziowelle Road in Idemili North Local Government Area.
According to a press statement released by the state police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, officers mobilized swiftly after receiving credible intelligence regarding the armed gang. When the suspects opened fire on the approaching police team, officers returned heavy gunfire, resulting in the deaths of two suspects while others fled with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.
“The operatives recovered one AK-47 rifle with a magazine containing four live rounds of ammunition, one pump-action gun and five live cartridges from the scene.”
SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Anambra Police Command
Police leadership, operating under the direction of CP Nnanna Oji Ama, maintained that proactive, intelligence-led operations remain essential for dismantling violent criminal networks throughout the state. Authorities have intensified investigative efforts to track down the fleeing suspects from the Eziowelle confrontation, even as the city of Awka grapples with the aftermath of the renewed cult violence.
Community Grief and Ongoing Unrest
Local observers noted that Sunday’s coordinated violence points toward a resurgent wave of clashes between rival cult factions in Awka, a city with a long-standing history of deadly confraternity feuds. As police authorities continue their investigations into both the Awka shootings and the wider regional kidnapping rings, residents await further operational updates to see if law enforcement can stem the escalating bloodshed.
