The gunmen accused of killing former Goodluck Jonathan aide Ahmed Gulak last year along Ngor Okpala Airport Road in Owerri were paraded by the Imo Police Command on Monday.
Police Commissioner Mohammed Barde linked the suspects at the Command Headquarters in Owerri to those who allegedly bombed Prof. George Obiozor’s home and said that the suspects admitted to being part of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Follow us on Facebook
Dr Mustapha Gulak is the first son of Ahmed Gulak, the slain All Progressives Congress chieftain and former political adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan. He tells Newsmen in this interview that the alleged N10bn reward due to his father from Governor Hope Uzodimma is a conspiracy theory
Do you think your father’s life was cut short at its prime when it looked most promising?
I am Dr Mustapha Gulak, the first son of Ahmed Gulak. I am a graduate of Medicine and I’m 34 years of age. To be candid as a Muslim, whatever God has destined, no one can change it. We don’t question God. His loss is painful.
As far as I am concerned, my dad passed away at a young age. No one in the family saw that coming, but then, it is the will of God. As a Muslim, I take it the way it is. I can tell you that my father was a true Nigerian. He didn’t differentiate if you are from the South or the North, or whether you are a Christian or a Muslim. That’s the kind of man he was. I picked that from him.
Read Also: LATEST: The Assassination of Ahmed Gulak May Have Consequences – Ohakim
My father always believed in one Nigeria, even sometimes in the heat of our arguments and discussions, when we paint a picture of hopelessness that the country was not heading in the right direction and that there was no hope for Nigeria, he would rebuke us and tell us never to think that way that all hope was not lost.
Uzodimma with Dr Mustapha Gulak
My father believed in Nigeria. My father helped people irrespective of what section of the country they came from. That’s one thing I admired and I am proud of him for. He was a close friend. We joked and laugh together; it was a very convivial relationship as we both advised one another. I didn’t just lose a father, but a dear friend.
Can you recount his last moment because it was learnt that you spoke with him shortly before he was killed?
My father rang me thrice. I had to call him back because I couldn’t take the call immediately, but he called back. We spoke. He asked about Abuja and how I was doing? I told him that things were grinding slowly and had to tease him that things were hard, but then we were pushing it. We laughed about it, but he asked me not to worry that things would get better. I asked him when he would be coming back to Abuja.
Read Also: Fani-Kayode Blasts Uzodinma Over Reply on Killing of Ahmed Gulak
He said he would be coming back any moment. Our conversations dovetailed into business issues and some plans we had together. He told me that when he returned, we would see how to go about it. Just for me to hear the news that my father had been shot in Owerri. So, it was devastating. It’s a day I will never forget in my life.
When was the last time you saw him before he was killed on May 30, 2021? I saw my father on the Friday before he was killed. He told me that he was going to Owerri on a national assignment regarding the amendment of the constitution. I spoke to him about the security situation in Owerri, but he sounded very confident, saying he would be fine. He chose the positive side of things and not the way a lot of people view things with pessimism. It’s sad and unfortunate but then it is the will of God, as a Muslim I believe God has destined that he would not exceed that 30th of May. Whether he was in Owerri or not, God had destined that particular day as the day of his demise.
How well did you relate with him and what were your last discussions with him?
I was my father’s best friend, even his friends will attest to it that whatever my father did, you would always hear him mentioning me. So, I know a lot of my father’s friends. I can’t come on record to tell you my last discussions with him.
How was he to the family?
Like I said earlier, not only the family, the Madagali Local Government Area and Adamawa State will miss him. I can assure you that all across this nation, his impact will be felt, because he was someone who was willing to help others. For instance, if he had N31,000 and you approached him and said you needed him to assist you with N30,000, he would give you that N30,000. That’s the kind of person he was. My father never believed in accumulating wealth.
Read Also: The Death Of Ahmed Gulak – By Reuben Abati
No. My father believed in living a comfortable life. He didn’t believe in primitive accumulation of wealth. He was the kind of person, who also found joy in helping others; to put smiles on people’s faces, solve their problems in the little way he could, because that was what gave him joy.
How do you reconcile what you have just said with some of the narratives about him?
Such as what? That he helped Governor Hope Uzodimma in the primaries and in return, the governor pledged N10bn as reward for his role in his becoming the governor of Imo State.
The issue of people saying he helped Hope to become governor and all that is nonsense. Primaries were conducted and Hope won the primaries. So, all this talk by people, who come on board to say he helped Uzodimma to become governor, is just talking. Primaries happened and Hope won. The story about the deal with Hope, I read it on the pages of newspapers that he promised him N10bn and he wasn’t going to fulfil it. I believe it is a conspiracy. I can swear by my faith that had it been that there was such a deal between my dad and Hope, I will know about it.
Is it because of your closeness to your dad?
Everyone knows I was close to my dad. A lot of deals my dad did with people I know. In fact, when my dad was going on that assignment, before his departure to Owerri, I took him to the airport. Prior to his going to the airport, when he was supposed to go and receive briefings from the APC secretariat, I drove him there. So, the issue of N10bn is a conspiracy. As a Muslim, again, I believe no man takes another man’s life; no one gives life, but God.
Read Also: Ahmed Gulak: Nnamdi Kanu Reveals The Person “Behind Assassination”
That’s my belief, which I have said over time; it was destined to happen. One thing the general public and the family will like is to see the perpetrators of the act brought to justice. We will like to know who sent them, because clearly, it is an assassination. We will like to know so that we have closure and prevent such things from reoccurring to other families.
Are you satisfied with the government’s handling of your father’s murder, especially the statement credited to the police that he didn’t request VIP protection?
Here was a simple man; even when he was in office as special adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, he’s use of security was more or less like he was being compelled to do so. That was a person, who when he returned from work would tell the security guys to go home. Weekends, he didn’t use security. Mind you, the day he was killed was a weekend and he felt Owerri was a home to him. As a Nigerian, he should feel safe to go from point A to Point B. So, the issue of the police saying he was supposed to inform them, so they could give him VIP protection doesn’t arise.
To summarise the whole thing, here was a Nigerian, who expectedly felt that he had the liberty to move from one point to another without requiring police protection, just as every other ordinary citizen should enjoy those privileges. The police are not created to protect only a few privileged ones; they are meant to give protection to all citizens. I think the best they can do is to unearth his killers and get to the root of the probable cause of this unfortunate murder.
Read Also: Ahmed Gulak: Reason He Was In Imo State – DSP Omo-Agege
Is the family being updated about the progress being made by the police to unearth the killers?
Well, I brought my dad’s corpse from Owerri. The brief I got from the Commissioner of Police is that investigation is still ongoing and as you might have read in the papers that they captured some of his alleged killers and killed them. So, let us wait and see the outcome of the investigation since the police said investigation is still ongoing.
Did your father tell any member of the family that he was facing any threat?
No, not at all.
He was in Owerri during the 2018 governorship primaries, were he faced some threat. Did he nurse any fear whenever he was going to the South-East after that?
No. He never did. There was this connection he had with the southern part of the country; he took people from that part as brothers. I can tell you that he had a lot of friends from there; he visited there comfortably. For him, he didn’t have the insecurities, the way an average northerner feel when going to the South. My father travelled across Nigeria comfortably; he didn’t see the need to get a security escort attached to him when on such trips.
What are the implications of his killing for the unity of this country?
What I will encourage is for the police to be up and doing to ensure that they protect lives and properties of all Nigerians. Yes, there has been tension. The implication is that tension will be high on both sides, but let us as Nigerians try and respect the memory of my father and live in peace. My father believed in one Nigeria, so let’s live in peace. I have a lot of friends from the South-East; a lot of them called me to condole with me, some came all the way from the South-East to Abuja.
Read Also: Ahmed Gulak: It’s Totally Unacceptable And Evil – Kalu laments
There’s one who even came all the way to Yola to condole with the family. So, we can’t just conclude that everybody from the South-East doesn’t like northerners. Just as it is in every society, you will have good and bad elements, so the police should just do a proper job and get to the bottom of his death. It will bring closure and help the cause of peace. So, the country can move on, though we as a family will never forget it.
Do you think his friendship with the governor might have cost him his life?
Well, I don’t want to attribute my father’s murder to politics despite people saying it was political. His killing was purely an assassination. At the same time, to respect my father’s memory, I wouldn’t want to say his friendship with Governor Hope Uzodimma or his association with the southern part of the country cost him his life. God had destined that my father would not exceed the 30th of May, 2021.
The governor said your father’s death had political undertones. But what does the family think?
Well, it was an assassination. Though investigation is going on, but with the look of things, if you bring down somebody from the car and just target him alone for elimination that means the person was the target. The governor also said it was a political assassination, if I recall correctly from his press conference.
What is the message of the family to the government and security agencies?
Well, the message from the family is that the security agencies should be up and doing. We know, they are trying their best based on the circumstances under which they operate. But we expect an environment whereby citizens from both sides can move freely without fear or favour.
Follow us on Facebook
Former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Friday, called on relevant authorities to fish out masterminds of the killing of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, who was killed in Owerri last Sunday.
Ohakim, in a release made available to Newsmen, said it became necessary to avert possible ‘untoward consequences given the volatile situation our dear nation is currently in’. He, therefore, appealed to relevant authorities to leave no stone unturned in the search for the masterminds of ‘this unconscionable act’.
According to him, “Investigations into his murder must be thorough, transparent and such that will leave every Nigerian with no iota of doubt.
LATEST: Ohakim Gets Appointment From Imo Govt
“For my brothers and sisters Ndi Imo, I would like us to realize that the killing of Gulak on our soil is Aru, a complete negation of what we stand for and are known for as a people.
“Imolites, nay, Ndigbo, love strangers and go out of their way to protect them in the event of danger. Therefore, I expect every adult indigene of the state, irrespective of political leaning or partisan interest, to see this incident as a challenge to our collective integrity.”
He also bemoaned killings in the state ‘either in the hands of criminals or operatives of state agencies’, adding that the time to stop such killings had come.
Ohakim asked, “Can we afford to have more lives wasted under any guise? I call on every Imolite to resolve that not a single life shall be lost again in our state in the same circumstances as we have witnessed of recent.
“I call on heads of the security agencies to take extra steps to restrain their field operatives from seeing their fellow human beings as instruments for achieving professional competence or advancement. I enjoin fellow political leaders to eschew all partisan differences or personal animosity so that we can come together in search of lasting peace.”
Former Imo State Governor, Ohakim Gets N10m Bail
He also called on youths of the state to distance themselves from ‘every demeanor capable of making them vulnerable to the conduct of either criminals or ill tempered security operatives’.
In his words, “I appeal to Imo youth, and, indeed, the entire youth of Igboland, to be ready for dialogue which the current crop of political actors must embrace.
“There is an ongoing move to amend the 1999 Constitution which nearly every knowledgeable Nigerian believes is the root cause of the current national crisis.
“The needless deaths of Nigerians either in the hands of criminals or unscrupulous state actors poses an existential question to every Nigerian; and the answer must be found now.”
Follow us on Facebook
In another bid to clear the name of his group in the murder of Ahmed Gulak, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has released a new video.
Nnamdi Kanu who released the video of Gulak on his Twitter handle on Friday morning insisted that IPOB or the Eastern Security Network (ESN) was not responsible for the assassination of the former presidential aide.
The IPOB leader wrote: “Ahmed Gulak knew his life was in danger. He mentioned the name of his killer in this video, yet the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu, an unconscionable media and poorly educated Nigerians filled with loathing for Biafra wanted to pin it on IPOB/ESN to justify their ongoing genocide.”
Nnamdi Kanu Reacts Over Buhari’s Statement on The Murder of Ahmed Gulak
Anaedoonline.ng recalls that a former political adviser to Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, was assassinated in Owerri, Imo State, on his way to catch a flight at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.
Following his murder, a northern group had threatened to carry out a reprisal attack if those behind Gulak’s killing were not brought to book.
The Nigeria Police had blamed the proscribed IPOB for the killing, while also claiming to have killed the assassins.
In the video published by Nnamdi Kanu, Gulak could be seen calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack his National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno.
Uzodinma Exonerate IPOB Over Ahmed Gulak Murder, Says Killing Political
Gulak accused NSA Monguno of being behind the nation’s security woes.
This online newspaper had earlier reported that Nnamdi Kanu had first released an audio from Gulak lambasting NSA Monguno.
Follow us on Facebook
Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has again tackled Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State over the killing of former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak.
Anaedoonline.ng had earlier reported that Fani-Kayode had in a post on Twitter on Wednesday morning stated that members of IPOB did not kill Gulak.
The PDP chieftain had stated that: “Why did the Gov. of Imo not provide security for Gulak? Why was Gulak dressed in jeans & a baseball cap as if he was in disguise?
See Questions Fani Kayode Asked Uzodinma Must Answer About Gulak Murder
“I have known Gulak for 15 years & I never saw him in jeans & a baseball cap. Why did he sneak out of the hotel in a car hire without any security?
“Who were the men in the car with him and who was the driver? How come we have not heard from them?
“Why did the Gov. not supply Gulak with a car to drop him at the airport? Is it true that they fell out badly over some unresolved issues?”
Reacting in a sttaement, Uzodinma had described the former Minister’s questions as unfortunate.
He accused the former Aviation minister of trying to make gains out of the unfortunate incident and questioned the character of the PDP stalwart.
But in a post on his Twitter page, Fani-Kayode wondered why the Imo governor refused to answer question he asked related to Gulak’s murder.
Gulak Assassination: Uzodinma Replies Fani-Kayode’s Questions
He also stated that the questions he asked the governor on his social media pages had rattled Uzodinma.
Fani-Kayode wondered why the APC governor is badly shaken by his questions if he has no skeleton in his cupboard.
He wrote: “Instead of attacking me why doesn’t Governor Hope Uzodinmma and the Imo State Government simply answer the questions that I raised?
“It appears that I have rattled their cage. If you have no skeleton in your cupboard why are you so badly shaken by my innocent questions?”
Follow us on Facebook
The cold-blooded murder of Hon. Ahmed Gulak, former Speaker of the Adamawa House of Assembly, former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, former national co-ordinator of the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) and former Governorship aspirant under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is yet another tragic indication of the crisis of insecurity that Nigeria faces.
It is disturbing and frightening because this was a Northern politician who had gone to the South East only to be brutally cut down by “unknown gunmen” on his way to the airport after concluding his visit to Imo State.
This was a clear case of assassination. There were two other persons with him according to reports. The assassins, true to type, identified their quarry, murdered him and didn’t bother about the witnesses. It is all the more curious because Gulak has a recent history of association with Imo State.
He was the leader of the APC team that organised the controversial party primaries in Imo State ahead of the 2019 Gubernatorial elections. Gulak it was said, was under pressure to sign the papers declaring an associate and relation of the then Governor Rochas Okorocha, as the winner of the primaries. Gulak refused and sneaked out of town under the cover of night. He alleged that he was offered a $2 million bribe and a private jet.
Whatever may be the circumstances that took him to Imo State this time around, he obviously also wanted to sneak out of town without drawing attention to himself. If he had known that he was a person of interest in that part of the country, he probably would have stayed away. Or did anyone trail him to Imo State, monitored his movements and struck at a convenient spot and time? Did his assassins choose the place of attack deliberately to hide their trail, and divert attention?
In most cases of this nature, the Nigeria Police are often so lazy, so unimaginative. They easily jump to conclusions, latching on to the most convenient lead. This explains why the initial reaction from the Imo State Police Command was that Gulak made himself a target by not asking for security escort. For us to feel safe and have a good country, it must be possible for anyone at all to move around freely in Nigeria without having to seek police escort. Section 14 (2) of the 1999 Constitution states clearly that the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. Section 41 of the same Constitution guarantees the freedom of movement. Section 34 talks about the right to the dignity of the human person.
These are three major areas in which the Nigerian government has failed the people over the years. Why should citizens seek police protection in order to travel from their homes or hotel rooms to the airport? If we all do so, there will no policeman left on routine duty.
The sad part of it is that we live in a country where no one is safe anymore, not even school children, students and their teachers, wives, husbands, and the ordinary man. The state is in recess. It is absent. Its institutions are too fragile to help the people. The people are like orphans in their own country. Gulak’s death should be a warning sign of how dangerously Nigeria sits on the brink of the precipice and the edge of a knife.
This is why the security agents handling the investigations must learn to think before opening their mouths. In less than 24 hours after the killing, the Police not only blamed Gulak for killing himself (because he did not ask for police security! Imagine!), they also immediately concluded that bandits were behind the killing. In 24 hours, they opened a case file and closed it. This kind of beer-parlour-policing is unacceptable. I expect the Police headquarters in Abuja to take charge directly from the office of the Inspector General of Police. We have been told that the Police have since apprehended Gulak’s killers.
So fast? Are the suspects in custody really the killers? Or is this a case of lazy policing?
The murder of Hon. Ahmed Gulak is bound to widen the distrust between the South and the North. The optics are bad. The signs are ominous. Gulak did not go to Imo State to graze cattle, and even if he did, he did not deserve to be murdered. It should not be surprising therefore, that his murder is being located in the growing North-South politics of difference, and the rights of every Nigerian under the Constitution.
Hence, much effort has been made to ethnicize his murder, or lend it an ethnic colouration. That is the dangerous part of it, and it is the reason the Nigerian government must not treat this as just another murder. The First World War was ignited by the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo by Serbian terrorists, the Black Hand. He was the presumptive heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne. The Great War started a month after his death, and went on for four years. And over 20 million people died. It takes only one incident to ignite others and turn embers into a huge conflagration.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State governor, Chair of the Southern Governors Forum and APC chieftain, is right to have described the killing of Ahmed Gulak as “one murder too many” and an attempt “to instigate Nigerians against each other, particularly Northerners against the Igbo living outside the South East.” Toeing the same line, human rights activist, author, and politician Comrade Shehu Sani, member of the 8th National Assembly, who represented Kaduna Central, has also appealed to youths in Northern Nigeria not to seek vengeance for the murder of Ahmed Gulak in the South East.
Nigeria’s civil war, 1967 -1970 was ignited by ethnic sentiments and reprisal killings. No country survives two civil wars. We all have to be careful. There is an evil wind blowing across the country. On Sunday, the Coalition of Northern Groups issued a statement to say that the murder of Ahmed Gulak is an indication that the North can no longer continue to co-exist with people of Igbo extraction inside Nigeria. The group accused South East leaders of funding the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to cause havoc and “replicate the ugly events of 1966”. T
.he Northern Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN) also called on the Governor of Imo State to produce Gulak’s killers within two weeks or risk being declared “persona non grata in the North”. This same NYCN has since toned down its rhetoric and praised the police. The volte-face is suspicious but helpful.
It is good news also that the IPOB and ESN, the militant, political and security units defending Igbo and secessionist Biafra interests have declared that they have no hand in the Gulak assassination, and that in no way was he a person of concern to them. What no one can deny however, is that the South East has become a war zone.
Whereas it is possible to talk about insurgents, terrorists, and kidnappers in Northern Nigeria occupying the Sambisa Forest or what they now call, the Timbuktu Triangle, the South East of Nigeria is now the operation field of a strange phenomenon called “unknown gunmen.” Nigeria must be the only country in the world where ghosts and unidentifiable objects cause so much havoc and the state is so terribly helpless.
Read Also: Nnamdi Kanu Reacts Over Buhari’s Statement on The Murder of Ahmed Gulak
From Ebonyi to Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Imo and every part of the South East, human beings are being killed, kidnapped, murdered, assaulted, offices and facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, the immigration service, the judiciary are being set ablaze and all we hear is that “unknown gunmen” are behind it all. Is there anything that is known to the Nigerian government at all?
In the last 3 days, there have been other assassinations: The Chief Provost of Nigerian Immigration Service, Imo State Command, Okiemute Mrere was murdered on Saturday night on Owerri-Port Harcourt Road. In Niger State, bandits are on rampage. They have set a police station ablaze and kidnapped persons, including 200 school children.
In Ibadan, Oyo State a popular businessman, Maduabuchi Owuamanam was also assassinated on Saturday, May 29, along Mokola-Sango Road. In Abuja, yesterday, Omoyele Sowore, leader of the #RevolutionNow movement had a life-threatening encounter with assassins in state uniform. In his own case, he lives to tell the story, asking his followers to carry on with the revolution even if he gets killed. Dead men don’t tell stories.
The truth is this: nobody is safe in this country anymore, and whereas this may sound repetitive, note this: not even the foetuses in blessed wombs waiting to join the Nigerian nightmare are safe. The country is that bad.
Read Also: Finally, Rochas Okorocha Reacts To Gulak’s Assassination In Imo
I knew Ahmed Gulak. We worked together in the Jonathan administration. He advised the President on Political Matters, and was later the co-ordinator of the Goodluck Support Group. In the latter capacity, he stepped on some powerful and sensitive toes as he went around the country in the lead up to the 2015 elections, and that was what led to his exit. I announced his appointment and his exit.
But the Ahmed Gulak I remember, is a political man of action. He was articulate, knowledgeable and experienced. Having served as Speaker of the House of Assembly in Adamawa, and entrenched as he was in party politics, he carried himself with the aplomb of a man who had been here and there. He was friendly and approachable. In a sense, he was one of us, the boys in the Jonathan inner circle, that is the “the main body”.
There were persons who were not permanently with the Principal but who wielded much influence because they had access. He was one of them. President Jonathan liked him a lot. The story of his exit will not be told here, except to say that one Governor at the time felt Ahmed Gulak had the temerity to visit his state without his permission and held meetings without his approval, and that was it. The Governor raised hell.
Those were the days. I am under no obligation to say more. With his death, we have lost a man who enjoyed the art of politics and sought to excel in it. He was confident, assertive and always well turned out. He was one of the shining stars in his part of the country. He was detribalised. His murder on the streets of Imo State is most unfortunate because that was a man who felt at home in any part of the country. Nigeria has lost a gem, and as always, it is the country that has been shot in the foot. His death should not end up as another item in Nigeria’s long list of unresolved political assassinations.
Follow us on Facebook
Former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has stated that members of IPOB did not kill former presidential political aide, Ahmed Gulak.
In a series of posts on his Twitter page on Wednesday, he stated that Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has many questions to answer.
Fani-Kayode wrote: “Why did the Gov. of Imo not provide security for Gulak? Why was Gulak dressed in jeans & a baseball cap as if he was in disguise?
Nnamdi Kanu Reacts Over Buhari’s Statement on The Murder of Ahmed Gulak
“I have known Gulak for 15 years & I never saw him in jeans & a baseball cap. Why did he sneak out of the hotel in a car hire without any security?
“Who were the men in the car with him and who was the driver? How come we have not heard from them?
“Why did the Gov. not supply Gulak with a car to drop him at the airport? Is it true that they fell out badly over some unresolved issues?
“Why did the Governor quickly say that this was a political assassination within 24 hours of the incident? How did he manage to conduct this investigation in record time?
“Why did they try to give the impression that IPOB and ESN killed Gulak & how can we be sure that those they killed later & claimed were Gulak’s assassins really were Gulak’s assassins?
What We Know About Assassinating of Ahmed Gulak In Imo – IPOB
“These are just some of the questions that need to be answered. Whether they are answered or not one thing is clear to me: the suggestion that IPOB or ESN killed Gulak is nonsensical and absurd.
“I do not believe that for one minute. Someone is trying to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”
Follow us on Facebook
Former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha has reacted to the murder of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Gulak, by unknown gunmen in Imo State.
Anaedoonline.ng had reported how Gulak was killed in the early hours of Sunday shortly after he left his hotel and was said to heading to the Sam Mbakwe airport to connect with a flight back to his destination.
Reacting to Gulak’s murder in Owerri on Tuesday, Okorocha through his Media Aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, described the Gulak’s murder as unfortunate and disheartening.
Uzodinma Exonerate IPOB Over Ahmed Gulak Murder, Says Killing Political
Okorocha, however, called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Baba Usman Alkali, to investigate how Gulak was killed in Imo state.
The Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District noted that the investigation would unravel the motive behind those who murdered Gulak.
The statement reads: “Former governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West Senatorial Zone, Senator Rochas Okorocha has outrightly condemned the unfortunate murder of one of the front row politicians in this country, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, describing his death, as unfortunate and disheartening.
“Senator Okorocha has also sent his heartfelt condolences to the family of Alhaji Gulak and to the government of Adamawa State, over the death of the politician, explaining that, the nation at large and Adamawa State, in particular, have lost a very vibrant politician.
What We Know About Assassinating of Ahmed Gulak In Imo – IPOB
“He regretted that politics has in recent time, been allowed to eat deep into the fabric of the nations life, so much so that, when certain situations like the death of Gulak arise, leaders would foot-drag over what they should have ordinarily done or say, because of the needless political colourations some leaders have chosen to give to every incident.
“Okorocha appealed to leaders and stakeholders, to always guard their utterances on sensitive issues, to avoid jeopardizing efforts being made by genuine leaders to stop the ugly story of insecurity in the country, adding that, leaders should show their commitment to the campaign against insecurity through their utterances, actions, and inactions.
“Senator Okorocha calls for an unmitigated investigation to unravel the motive or circumstances surrounding the killing of Gulak, adding that, the Inspector General of Police should take over the investigation to ensure that a thorough job is done.
South East Governors Calls Gulak’s Assassination A National Disaster
“Okorocha regretted the spate of killings across the nation including his home State Imo, that had been peaceful before now, stating that, where the use of force or use of arms has failed, diplomacy, dialogue, and God-given wisdom can be deployed.”
Follow us on Facebook
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has charged his Imo State counter, Hope Uzodinma, not to assume this early that the assassination of Ahmed Gulak has a political undertone.
Governor Uzodinma in a broadcast on Monday had condemned the killing of the former presidential aide, describing the death of Gulak as an unfortunate clear case of political assassination.
Wike, while speaking on Channels TV, however, charged his Imo counterpart to exercised patience and allow the security agencies to carry out their assignment.
JUST IN: Former Adviser To Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak Killed By Unknown Gunmen In Owerri
“I think that the governor of Imo State, my brother Hope Uzodinma should allow the security agencies to do their proper investigation for it is too early now for him to come out to say it is a political assassination.
“Having done that, it means that you already know those who committed the crime and that will not be fair. When things of this nature happen, allow the security agencies to really go into the matter and then say look, from our investigations, this is what we found out,” Wike stated.
Anaedoonline.ng had earlier reported that gunmen on Sunday killed Gulak around Umueze Obiangwu in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area close to the Sam Mbakwe Airport road in Owerri, Imo State.
The former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was heading to the airport when the assailants attacked him and shot him on the spot.
Nnamdi Kanu Reacts Over Buhari’s Statement on The Murder of Ahmed Gulak
Wike while commiserating with the family of the APC stalwart said, there is no loss of life that is acceptable, regardless of the form it takes.
He, however, warned against the politicizing of Gulak’s death, stressing that all extrajudicial killings of citizens in the country must be treated as unacceptable.
Follow us on Facebook
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has condemned the ‘gruesome assassination’ of Barrister Ahmed Gulak by unknown gunmen in Owerri, Imo State and described the incident as contrary to the tradition of peace and hospitality for which the Southeast is known.
Mr Gulak was killed yesterday on his way to Owerri airport en route to Abuja.
Ohanaeze, in a statement on Monday signed by its national publicity secretary, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, described Gulak’s death as ‘a death too many’.
Uzodinma Exonerate IPOB Over Ahmed Gulak Murder, Says Killing Political
Ohanaeze further regretted ‘the wrong signal it has sent to the general public’.
The statement read, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Igbo custom places very high premium on the wellbeing and hospitality of a guest; and the host would even pay the supreme price in order to protect the life of a guest.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo, led by Ambassador George Obiozor, expresses great concerns over the recent developments in the Southeast of Nigeria; a zone noted for peace, tranquility, hard work and smooth economic activities.
The release described Gulak as ‘an ebullient and sagacious achiever, a detribalized patriot whose active presence was felt in any gathering’.
What We Know About Assassinating of Ahmed Gulak In Imo – IPOB
It added that, “His enviable qualities helped him clinch the positions of the speaker, Adamawa State House of Assembly and later special assistant to president of Nigeria.
“As a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gulak was never on the sideline. He was a consummate politician.
“Our heart goes to the governor of Imo State, Sen Hope Uzodinma, who has remained in deep mourning since the death of Gulak.
Nnamdi Kanu Reacts Over Buhari’s Statement on The Murder of Ahmed Gulak
“Our sympathy goes to the immediate family of Gulak and the good people of Adamawa State for this calamity. We pray to God to grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
Follow us on Facebook
