The South East Governors’ Forum on Tuesday urged security agencies to immediately arrest those responsible for the murder of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former Presidential Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan
Gulak was also the chairman of the 2nd Convention Committee that delivered Imo Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who came 4th in the first Convention, as the winner of the APC Governorship primary election.
Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, said after a virtual meeting of the Governors on the security situation in the region, described the murder of Gulak, in Owerri, Imo State, as a national catastrophe.
According to Umahi, “It is with a rude shock that we received the news of the unfortunate death of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak in the hands of the senseless gunmen. We, on behalf of the people of South East, condemn the act highly and we charge security agencies to immediately deploy their officers and men to arrest the perpetrators and make them face justice.
“We, however, pray to God to grant the deceased rest in eternity. The governors condoled the Gulak’s family, the Adamawa State Government and Nigerians in general.
“We assure our fellow northern governors of our commitment to unravel all masterminds of the act. The forum urges the public to exercise restraint and allow security agencies continue with their investigations while assuring that all those involved in the act will be brought to justice.”
The Nigeria Police had reacted with unusual urgency with the killing of Gulak on Sunday morning, saying in a Sitrep deliberately leaked that 10 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Eastern Security Network (ESN) responsible for the killing were killed the same Sunday and that the three vehicles used by them during the operation was “Demobilized/Recovered.”
A Police Sitrep sighted by Global Upfront Newspapers (GUN) on Sunday night said that seven of the 10 IPOB/ESN group with bullet wounds “were completely burnt down inside the Toyota Sienna and Hilux Vehicles that caught fire during the Gun battle.”
The “three bodies of the terrorists not burnt down were brought to the Police State Headquarters while efforts to recover the burnt bodies of the hoodlums to the Police State HQ is in progress,” the Sitrep said.
The report noted that the three of the four vehicles demobilized or recovered include Toyota Sienna, Toyota Hilux and Toyota Camry.
It added that the arms and ammunition recovered include 3 Ak47 Rifles, 1 English Pistol, 5 Ak47 Magazines, 92 Ak47 Ammunition, several charms and three operational vehicles.
But Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State on Monday disagreed with the conclusion of the Police that IPOB) carrired out the attack on Gulak, saying it has political undertone.
Governor Uzodinma said at a press conference in Owerri that from all indications, “his gruesome murder appears to be a clear case of political assassination.”
According to the Governor, “Alhaji Ahmed Gulak was in Imo State for a national assignment. He came to Owerri with the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment. Being a humble man, he chose to travel incognito according to his friend who was with him. Someone must have trailed him from the hotel to the airport. That is exactly why his gruesome murder appears to be a clear case of political assassination.
“The brutal and callous assassination of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak yesterday, Sunday, May 30th, 2021 on his way to the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, is painful because he did not deserve to die that way.
“The death of this compatriot is a personal loss to me because he was an invaluable friend and brother whose sense of justice, fairness and uprightness endeared him to me. I was shocked to my marrows when the sad news of his callous murder was broken to me.
“I was getting ready to go to church when the sad news came and I could not attend the service again. It was simply one of the most devastating news I have heard in my life and I am yet to recover from the shock. It remains a puzzle to me why anyone would want to murder him in this gruesome and vicious manner.”
