Police await autopsy report on comedian found dead in hotel room

The Taraba Police Command on Tuesday said it was awaiting the result of the autopsy conducted on the body of Samuel Awar, a comedian who was found dead in a hotel in Jalingo.

Command spokesman, David Mishal, disclosed that the autopsy would determine the cause of Awar’s death.

“It is normal to conduct an autopsy in situations like this to determine whether the deceased was killed or he died as a result of natural causes,” Mr. Mishal said.

He said two ladies whom the command earlier invited for interrogation in connection with the case had been released after nothing implicating was found against them.

“We have since released the two girls we invited for questioning. I don’t intend to give more information on this because doing that can jeopardise the ongoing investigation,” the spokesman said.

An indigene of Benue State, Awar, aka Big Shark, was found dead by his aides in Jalingo on December 8.

He made his last public appearance on Wednesday when he went out with his fans to paste posters around Jalingo in preparation for a peace concert scheduled for December 17.

Taraba Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Atosuma James Gani, said the death has created a big vacuum in the state entertainment industry that would be difficult to fill.

Awar, a graduate of theatre and performing arts from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was also a musician and actor.