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Late Ahmed Gulak
By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
Legal practitioners in Bauchi state under the aegis of the Young Lawyers Forum (YLF) have urged the federal government to deploy sophisticated security strategies to the chaotic South Eastern part of the country and other areas battling security challenges.
The forum in a press release issued by its Chairman, Barrister Abbas Mu’azu Monday gave the call while reacting to the assassination of the ex president Goodluck Jonathan’s political adviser Barrister Ahmed Gulak.
The group expressed concern on the stance by the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) that gave Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodinma two weeks ultimatum to produce killers of Ahmed Gulak or else reprisal attack on igbos would be carried out in the Northern part of the nation.
It further stated that although the killing of Mr Gulak was painful, northerners should not retaliate as it could lead to anarchy all over the country.
According to him, at this stage, it is necessary to look at recent events which went as a precursor to the eventual murder of Gulak pointing out that the proscribed IPOB had weeks before the incident gave directive to everyone to sit at home.
The young lawyers stared that, “We call on the federal government to deploy the most sophisticated security strategies in all parts of the country battling one form of security challenge or the other.
“We equally call on the eastern governors to come out and join governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state in condemning the activities of the dreaded group (IPOB) and deploy the best known security strategies against its members”,the group added.
The lawyers recalled that a situation like this was responsible for the worst genocide recorded in post-independent Africa in Rwanda 27 years ago when it was not properly handled.
In the same vein, Arewa Youth for Peace and Security has described the killing of Barrister Ahmed Gulak, former Political Adviser to former President Goodluck and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as political.
National President of the group, Alhaji Salisu Magaji, who made this known in an interview with journalists in Bauchi on Monday, cautioned Nigerians against giving Gulak’s murder ethnic colouration.
Magaji opined that northern elders and leaders had been going to the south east on daily basis without any problem and Igbos have also been going about their legitimate businesses in the north without any hitch.
He advised Nigerians not to allow the assassination of Gulak to be used to further cause division and disunity among Nigerians.
“Gulak was a PDP man before he joined APC. He was the Chairman of APC governorship Primaries in Imo State in 2018. He complained that some people wanted to abduct him several times but never succeeded,” Magaji said.
“Gulak alleged that he was given a bribe of two million dollars which he turned down. Nigerians are aware of these allegations because he complained publicly. APC lost the election and PDP won election as Governor. Later on Hope Uzodinma was given the slot as Governor for Imo State. Gulak went to Imo to see Uzodinma so this is not an issue of North versus South East.
He added that, “Our Leaders, the likes of Professor Ango Abdullah used to go to the South east and come back safely. Gulak had never spoken for the north. He had never defended the north for whatsoever. He was just an APC man, a politician and his assassination is not Igbo versus North because our people go to the area and come back safely”
He urged the police to investigate the killing with a view to unraveling the motive and chided some groups in the north for insinuating that Gulak was killed by Igbos because he was a northerner.
“The police should investigate the killing thoroughly because Gulak had complained that they wanted to abduct him and even offered him bribe of two million dollars over the issues relating to the APC primary of but he refused,” he said.
He assured that Igbos in the north are safe and nobody from the north would come attack them because according to him, “They are our brothers, they are Nigerians and the issues of Igbo versus north should not arise over Gulak”.
“We want justice and we want peace in this country. We are living with Igbos successfully in this country and they are doing their businesses legally so the issue of attacking this and attacking that does not arise,” he said.
