TELL Magazine

Says he moved without security escorts

The Imo State Police Command on Sunday confirmed the murder of Ahmed Gulak, the former political adviser to immediate past President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, in Owerri, the state capital. The police said the visiting Gulak left his hotel en route the airport without informing the police, and without security escorts.

Gulak, a lawyer, was reportedly shot dead by unknown gun men on Saturday evening. There are conflicting reasons on the purpose of his visit to Owerri. While one account said it was on the invitation of a northern group, another source said he went to visit his friend, Governor Hope Uzodimma.

Confirming the unfortunate incident on Sunday in a press release titled ‘Murder of Ahmed Gulak by Armed Bandits,’ Bala Elkana, superintendent of police, SP the Police Public Relations Officer on behalf of the state police commissioner, Abutu Yaro, gave an account of what happened.

Elkana said “On the 30/5/2021, at about 07:20hrs, armed bandits intercepted and attacked a Toyota Camry cab carrying Ahmed Gulak and two others who were on their way to Sam Mbakwe Airport to catch a flight.

“Ahmed Gulak left his room at Protea Hotel without informing the Police nor sister agencies in view of the fragile security situation in the South East and Imo in particular. He left without any security escorts and while the cab driver took irregular route to the airport, six armed bandits who rode in a Toyota Sienna intercepted, identified and shot at Ahmed Gulak at around Umueze Obiangwu in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area close to the Airport”.

According to Elkana, the police commissioner has directed a discreet investigation into the matter “as Tactical and Special forces have been deployed to cordon the area and arrest perpetrators”.

Gulak’s daughter also took to her Twitter handle @Muneerahaag to announce her father’s death and asked Nigerians to pray for him.

She said “I just lost my dad please put him in your Dua. Thank you as you do so. Allaahummaghfir li (Ahmed Ali Gulak) warfa’ darajatahu fil-mahdiyyeena, wakhlufhu fee ‘aqibihi fil-ghaabireena , waghfir-lanaa wa lahu yaa Rabbal-‘aalameena, wafsah lahu fee qabrihi wa nawwir lahu feehi”.

Gulak, who hailed from Adamawa State, was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP until 2018 when he defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

He was a key player in the controversial APC primary election in Imo State which produced incumbent governor, Hope Uzodimma as the governorship candidate of the party for the 2019 general elections.