Police kill six, injure 4 assassins of Ahmed Gulak in shootout

The Imo State Police Command, relying on intelligence, on Sunday trialed the gunmen who killed Ahmed Gulak, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and engaged them in a shootout at Afor Enyiogugu junction in Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area, killing six and injuring four of their members.

The Imo Police Command in a statement on Sunday night, highlighted that the arms recovered from the killers include three AK 47 rifles, one pistol, five AK 47 magazines with 92 rounds of live ammunition.

The Command in the statement declared: “Eyewitness account, especially, the account given by the driver of the vehicle that was conveying Ahmed Gulak to the Airport before the attack, gave a vivid description of the assailants and the vehicles they used in carrying out the attack.

“The assailants were said to have used a Toyota Camry 2005 model with silver color; Toyota Sienna 1998 Model with golden color; Toyota Hilux with white color; and a Lexus RX 330 with golden Color. (Registration numbers are withheld for security reasons).

“Having established the identity of the assailants and the description of the vehicles used in carrying out the attack, the teams further got details of the direction the hoodlums have taken. With further leads, the team was able to establish the location of the suspects.

“The suspects were rounded up at Afor Enyiogugu junction in Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area. The hoodlums were met distributing onions to locals from a trailer they confiscated. The trailer was loaded with onions from the Northern region of Nigeria.”

The statement indicated that on sighting the police, the hoodlums in providing security coverage to those sharing the onions, opened fire on the Police teams.

According to the statement: “The gallant and battle-ready Police Officers swiftly returned the fire.

“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.”

Gulak was murdered in the vicinity of Umueze Obiangwu in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area, adjacent to the Sam Mbakwe Airport road in Owerri, Imo State, on his way to the airport on Sunday morning.

The statement from the Police farther highlighted: “The assailants were identified as members of the proscribed IPOB and ESN. The driver who drove late Ahmed Gulak and a co-victim who survived have all identified the dead body of the IPOB/ESN members positively as their attackers and also identified the three vehicles recovered as those used by the attackers.”

The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Abutu Yaro, had commended the effort of the gallant team, encouraging them to continue to protect the public space.