Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has said that the murdered aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan and a Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Ahmed Gulak was in the state for a national assignment.

Governor Uzodimma who addressed a press conference on Monday, said Alhaji Ahmed Gulak came to Owerri with the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment.

He explained: “Being a humble man, he chose to travel incognito according to his friend who was with him. Someone must have trailed him from the hotel to the airport. That is exactly why his gruesome murder appears to be a clear case of political assassinatio.

While describing the death as sad, the Governor said “It is with a very heavy heart that I address you today. The pain of losing a person or loved one, the horror of holding your family member in his or her final moments, the anger of someone being so reckless, so thoughtless that their bullet destroyed your life, are emotions no individual should ever have to endure.

“I sympathize with the families of those who lost their lives through stray bullets during this period. As you know, the death of anyone diminishes mankind. But the brutal and callous assassination of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak yesterday, Sunday, May 30th, 2021 on his way to the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, is painful because he did not deserve to die that way.”

He described the death as a personal loss to him. “The death of this compatriot is a personal loss to me because he was an invaluable friend and brother whose sense of justice, fairness and uprightness endeared him to me.

“I was shocked to my marrows when the sad news of his callous murder was broken to me. I was getting ready to go to church when the sad news came and I could not attend the service again. It was simply one of the most devastating news I have had in my life and I am yet to recover from the shock. It remains a puzzle to me why anyone would want to murder him in this gruesome and vicious manner.”

He assured that the perpetrators would be brought to book to face justice. “Let me make it very clear that everything will be done by security agencies to find those who murdered Gulak and their sponsors. They will not by the grace of God escape their deserved punishment. This is not in our character as Ibos, not in our tradition nor in our culture. We must condemn this callous act.”

He urged everybody to exercise restraint and allow the police to continue with their investigations, which according to him, “is already yielding positive results as some arrests have already been made. I commend the police for their speed so far in handling this case.”

“It is reassuring that the President and Commander in Chief, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, has assured the nation that the perpetrators of this heinous crime would be apprehended and punished.

“On our part as a government, we are not sparing any effort in ensuring that the murderers of this patriot are quickly arrested and prosecuted for their evil deeds.”

He believed that the ongoing police investigations will uncover the whole truth.

“It is common knowledge that those who are innocent need not be afraid. But the guilty will never go scot-free, certainly not in this instant case,” he added.

The governor also commiserated with relations and families of victims of kidnapping, armed robberies, banditry and stray bullets in Imo state adding that the government has been reaching out to all other victims.