Senate Deputy President Ovie Omo-Agege on Tuesday said former Political Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, was in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on a national assignment when he was killed by gunmen on Sunday, May 30, 2021.
The former presidential aide was on his way to the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in the town to connect a flight to Abuja, when he was killed.
Omo-Agege spoke at plenary after citing Order 43 to notify the Upper Chamber of Gulak’s death.
The Deputy Senate President said the former presidential aide was on a national assignment on behalf of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review when he was killed.
“He was a lawyer – a very brilliant lawyer at that. Apparently, it was in that capacity that his relationship with me, as the Chairman of the Committee on Constitution Review, that I recommended and engaged him as one of the few brilliant men that we hired to help the committee in carrying out its assignment.
“We members of the committee are shattered by his demise. We believe that this is one death too many. For sure, it is most unfair for this very brilliant life to have been cut down in his prime,” he said.
The Senate observed one-minute silence in honour of the departed Adamawa State lawyer and politician.
It mandated its Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution to pay a condolence visit to the family of the deceased.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan described the late politician as very committed, dedicated citizen of this country” who made tremendous contributions at his state, Adamawa, and the national level.
“The murder of this Nigerian is something that our security agencies must unravel the murderer and the people behind the murder itself. This is necessary in all the murders and assassinations that take place in our country on almost a daily basis,” he said.
Many other eminent Nigerians also called for a thorough investigation into the killing of the former presidential aide.
The South East Governors’ Forum, which condemned the killing in a statement by its Chairman and Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, said: “We, on behalf of the people of Southeast, 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.
“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 to continue with their investigations while assuring that all those involved in the act will be brought to justice.”
All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and former governorship candidate in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, urged security operatives to fish out the killers and bring them to justice.
In a statement, another APC chieftain and former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel said: “I worked very closely with him on various strategic political issues in the last 10 years and he can be described as one of the truly detribalised Nigerians.
“His death remains a mystery and a painful loss to the entire country, especially at a time the situation in Nigeria needs critical thinking and intellectual solutions to its myriads of social and economic challenges.”
Igbo traditional rulers in the Diaspora, under the aegis of Association of Eze Nigbo N’uzo Ije, commiserated with the Gulak family.
A statement by The Ezedioranma IV, Eze Ndigbo Kano, His Royal Highness Igwe Dr. Boniface Ibekwe (Ide I) said: “We wish to call on our gallant security agents to fish out all the perpetrators of this heinous act and bring them to justice.”
Also, the Northern Coalition for Justice, Peace and Equity, through its Coordinator, Malam Babangida Sule Manchok Junior, urged he Igbo resident in the North to shun violence and embrace peace.
