By Lucky Okoedion
DISCLAIMER:
This post does not allege anything. It is purely hypothetically speaking. We try hard to trust the Nigerian police and believe in their reports concerning the issue of discourse. The motive is to discourage fellow Nigerians from arriving at the dangerous conclusion that Igbo people are killing Fulani or Hausa politicians.
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Though the Nigerian Police has been reported to have apprehended the killers of Ahmed Gulak the former aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak being a Northern political leader and Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who was found in the pool of his own blood in Imo State, yet the video below of Ahmed Gulak speaking – a video that came up on social media clearly showed that Ahmed Gulak seemed to have powerful political enemies, and he had good reason to be scared for his life. Yet, apart from the questions raised by this video, there are so many other questions left unanswered. And they are reasons why it is not wise for us to conclude about anything just yet. But first, do watch and listen to the video below where Ahmed Gulak is heard confronting General Mohammed Babagana Monguno (rtd), the current National Security Adviser (NSA) of Nigeria. In this video he called the NSA “corrupt, a thief, fraudulent”, and challenged him to arrest him if he has the power to do so.
Hence, no doubt, there are still so many questions left unanswered. This is regardless of the fact that just few hours after his murder this Punch Newspaper publication says that “…the Imo State Police Command has identified killers of a former Presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network….” and “…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….”
But a transparent investigation requires that the following questions should be answered:
1) Was Ahmed Gulak in Imo on an invitation or was it a private visit on personal business or pleasure?
2) Who hosted him?
3) If it was not a private visit, how come he wasn’t provided security?
4) If it was not a private visit, how come he boarded a commercial Cab to the Airport?
These questions are important because the story in the media and the official statement of the police indicate that he (Ahmed Gulak) was trailed, targeted, identified, before he was killed. It had written all over it the handiwork of skilled “professionals” who have the Intel and the capacity to track, locate, and identify him. The killers must also have a motive for assassinating him.
The Punch Newspaper publication referenced above was titled as “Ahmed Gulak’s killers are IPOB, ESN members -Police”
But the killers of Ahmed Gulak must have a motive for killing him. What motive must a so-called Eastern Security Network have in killing a Northern Political leader when they know that millions of their Igbo people are living in several states in the North and thus exposed to reprisal attacks or revenge killings? Are the so-called ESN and IPOB so foolish? Certainly, this theory does not add up.
It is also worthy of note that Ahmed Gulak is a major political benefactor of the incumbent Governor of Imo State. He (Ahmed Gulak) was a high profiled APC chieftain who chaired the controversial nomination of the incumbent Governor of the state. It ought to be strange for him to move in and out of the state without the Governor being aware of his presence or in the absence of any security detail.
Why did Ahmed Gulak not trust the security that the governor could have provided for him? When threatened, people avoid the source of the danger. But why was Ahmed Gulak avoiding the police and the security that the Governor could have provided him? Was that the source of the threat? Another reason why someone who feels threatened would be running from the law enforcement is if his hands are dirty and so he does not want to be apprehended by the police?
So, was Ahmed Gulak a bad guy? Was that the reason he seemed to have grievances with the NSA according to the video above? These are also important questions.
Below is a video where the NSA spoke about the president’s directive to go after all bad guys who were colluding with criminals to sponsor terror in the country. Is that why Ahmed Gulak had issues with the NSA? If no, then why? We are not making any assumptions here, we are just looking at facts before us and asking the questions that all sane people are asking.
We are not alleging anything, we are only observing and saying that many things do not add up in the whole narrative. We respect the police and appreciate their work. But we only hope to use this means to appeal to them to do more investigation to answer these many questions that are begging for answers. It is important to do so because whoever chose to murder Ahmed Gulak in the South East does not mean well for Nigeria. They must be people who are plotting to plunge this nation into a bloody civil war. They must be resisted by all means.
And given the premise of Ahmed Gulak’s role in the emergence of the incumbent Governor of Imo State, political opponents of the embattled Governor are most likely to have a motive to assassinate Ahmed Gulak than the said ESN or IPOB – judging basically by simple logic or common sense which could also be wrong of course. But we cannot rule out any possibility in order to get to the root of the case. The conclusion that IPOB or ESN killed Ahmed Gulak does not make sense to discerning minds.
The fact is that it remains illogical, foolish and void of motive for ESN or IPOB to kill Ahmed Gulak except it was through a stray bullet. But clearly from all reports, it was not a stray bullet that met him. He was trailed, identified and killed. His cab driver was even spared. It was planned. My theory is that it does not make sense for IPOB or ESN to target a Northern leader or leader of any other tribe and kill when they know that it will expose millions of Igbo people who they claim to protect to possible reprisal attacks.
More so, this is the first time a political leader from another tribe has been reportedly murdered in the South East. Even the “unknown gunmen” in the South East have mostly targeted Government institutions in their criminal acts. In other words, killing other tribe’s Political leaders does not usually happen in the South East because it seems even the criminals in the East would not dare it because they know that their own people live in other parts of the country. And both the ESN and IPOB do not strike us as being as foolish as to do that which will expose their people to attacks everywhere in the country.
Other questions begging for answer are:
5) Did he inform the police when he entered the state?
6) Why leave without informing the police?
7) Was he trying to conceal his presence and departure ? If yes, why would he have to do that? Was he aware that his life was at risk?
Another major surprise is that the police seems to have been very swift in identifying and apprehending or reportedly killing the murderers of Ahmed Gulak. Whereas we’ve always had inconclusive investigations. The death of Alex Badeh, the seven Airforce officers, and General Attahiru’s investigation is still ongoing. The police seems to be very swift with this case, yet many questions are left unanswered.
If we are to investigate this thoroughly, we will also have to question those that Ahmed Gulak had meetings with the day before. We will then link it up to those who knew he was travelling back. Stopping at using only the vehicle description from the cab driver may not be the wisest thing to do, even if it actually led to some criminals and led to a gun battle and arrests. What if the criminals it led to were a different set entirely? However, a confession from those arrested may validate this particular theory. But until when or if a confession is obtained, it is not wise to conclude yet that IPOB or ESN was responsible. Those that Ahmed Gulak had meetings with the day before, and those who knew he was travelling back need to be questioned.
We need to also find out whether he ordered for the cab by himself. If no, we need to identify and question the person who ordered the cab he was riding in.
There is this Sahara Reporters publication of October 2018 that sheds light on the controversies generated by Ahmed Gulak’s involvement in the APC primary that produced the current embattled Governor of the same Imo State where Ahmed Gulak was murdered. Read it here…
If there were people who wanted Ahmed Gulak dead, we must identify those who would have the motive to assassinate him. There is still no reasonable answer when we ask ourselves “what does ESN and IPOB have to benefit from the murder of Ahmed Gulak? What injury do they seek to avenge? Or what point do they intend to prove?” The ESN and IPOB theory doesn’t make sense because there is no motive.
Again, from the press release by the police, it appears to me that Gulak was aware of the imminent danger to his life and tried to run away unnoticed, disguised himself and followed irregular routes. If he knew that his life was in danger by “Unknown Gunmen” or IPOB or ESN, he would have NOT chosen to use an unknown cab driver. Neither would he have reportedly used irregular routes. It would have been safer for him to rely on the state security or the Governor to protect him under such circumstances.
We also need to identify the two other persons allegedly in the car with Gulak.
Finally, we must be careful as a nation because it seems there are forces that are hell bent on throwing this nation into a messy civil war.
Quoted below is the initial report given by the police. Take note of the highlighted phrases:
“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.
“The Commissioner of Police Imo CP Abutu Yaro, fdc has directed a discreet investigation into the matter as Tactical and Special forces have been deployed to cordone the area and arrest perpetrators.”
Sp Bala Elkana
Police Public Relations Officer
For: Commisioner of Police, Imo State Police Command.”
Lucky Okoedion is a believer of a new Nigeria where true democracy is practiced. He writes from Benin City, Nigeria. He can be reached on +2347038820118.
