There was uproar yesterday over the killing of the Adamawa State politician and former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Political Adviser, Ahmed Ali Gulak.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain was shot by gunmen in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
According to an eyewitness, Gulak was shot dead about 06:30am at Amaekwemgba Junction, Umueze Ezemba Community, a stone throw from the airport.
The eyewitness said: “I heard that a man was shot dead about 06:30am by gunmen at Amaekwemgba Junction, Umueze Ezemba Community, a few poles to the airport.”
The deceased was reportedly accosted while driving from Enyiogugu Mbaise area towards the airport before his assailants blocked him and shot him twice in the head. He died on the spot.
A source said the assailant, who asked Gulak to handover his Sienna car key to them, shot him because he refused.
The source said the gunmen, who were in military camouflage, abandoned the victim and his car and fled when the gunshots alarmed the people.
The police has since arrested the killers of Gulak. A statement by the command’s spokesperson, Bala Elkana, said three AK-47 Rifles, one pistol, five AK-47 magazines and 92 rounds of live ammunition, vehicles and charms were recovered from the slain suspects.
He said operatives overpowered the gunmen during a duel.
Elkana said the “vivid” description of the assailants by Gulak’s driver led to their identification.
“Having established the identity of the assailants and the description of the vehicles used in carrying out the attack, the teams further got details of the direction the hoodlums have taken.
“With further leads, the team was able to establish the location of suspects. The suspects were rounded up at Afor Enyiogugu junction in Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area.
“The hoodlums were met distributing onions to locals from a trailer they confiscated. The trailer was loaded with onions from the Northern region of Nigeria.
“On sighting the Police, the hoodlums providing security coverage to those sharing the onions opened fire on the Police teams. The gallant and battle-ready police officers swiftly returned the fire.
“The six hoodlums who carried out the killings and four other members of their gang were fatally injured. Three out of the four vehicles used in attacking Gulak were recovered.”
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s Media Adviser Oguwike Nwachukwu clarified that Gulak was not a guest of the governor.
He said: “I am not aware his visit was in the manifest. That he stops to greet the governor does not make him a guest of the governor.”
Buhari vows to bring Gulak’s killers to book
President Muhammadu Buhari expressed outrage over the killing of the Adamawa politician in Owerri.
The President, who sympathised with the family, associates and the government and people of Adamawa State, vowed to use all available resources to track down those behind the killings and destruction in the Southeast region.
Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, expressed disgust over what he called “the heinous murder of Adamawa politician yet to be identified gunmen.”
The President added: “I’m repulsed by such premeditated and gruesome murder of Gulak by evil people who are determined to undermine the peace, unity and territorial integrity of our country.
The murder was senseless and wicked – Akeredolu
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu described Gulak’s murder as very shocking, disturbing and unacceptable.
The governor, in a statement, said the murder was senseless and wicked, adding that the perpetrators were enemies of Nigeria out to mislead, confuse and destroy.
He said: “It bears the unmistakable, despicable imprints of fifth columnists bent on setting the country on the path of conflagration. These criminals must not be allowed to succeed.
“We want to use this medium to express our solidarity with our brother Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma. We admonish him and other governors in the South Eastern States to brace up, and confront the current security challenge to put an end to the bloodbath in the land. The enemies of the people always employ the weapon of fear to create disaffection in the polity.”
“This cowardly act is calculated to instigate Nigerians against each other, particularly Northerners against the Igbo living outside the Southeast,” Akeredolu said.
“We must confront the enemies of the people with a view to neutralising them. This is definitely not the time for political correctness. Banditry should not be allowed to subvert the legitimacy of the current government at all levels.
“We call on all security agencies to collaborate, with a view to unveiling the criminal elements sponsoring and undertaking terrorist acts. They must be punished, severely.”
