On Sunday, 30th of May, 2021 following a distress call received by the Imo State Police Command on the gruesome murder of Ahmed Gulak, Police Special Forces made up of Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Tactical Units from the command were deployed to the scene at Obiangwu Junction, Ngorokpala LGA of Imo state.
The teams were given a clear instruction to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the act with a view of bringing them to justice. The team was able to get eye witnesses account, especially the account given by the driver of the vehicle that was conveying late Ahmed Gulak to the Airport in Imo before the attack.
According to a press statement made available to fasnews by the Imo state police PRO, SP Bala Elkana, the team was able to locate and apprehend the attackers because of the description of the assailants and the vehicles used in carrying out the attack by the eye witnesses.
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 hoodlums that attacked Gulak and the description of the vehicles used in carrying out the attack and with some other intelligence leads, the team was able to establish the location of suspects and were rounded up at Afor Enyiogugu junction in Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo state.
It was gathered that the hoodlums where met distributing onions to locals from a trailer from the Northern part of the country which they had forcefully confiscated and on sighting the security operatives, the hoodlums, who already took positions to secure their other gang members that were distributing the confiscated onions in case of the arrival of any of the security agencies, opened fire on the police team.
The gallant and battle ready Police Officers swiftly returned the fire and at the end of the cross-fire, the six (6) hoodlums who carried out the killings and four (4) other members of their gang were fatally injured while three (3) out of the four (4) vehicles used in attacking Gulak were recovered.
Three (3) AK 47 Rifles, one Pistol, five (5) AK 47 magazines with ninety-two (92) rounds of live ammunition and criminal charms were also recovered.
The assailants were identified as members of the proscribed IPOB and ESN, while the driver who drove late Ahmed Gulak and a co- victim who survived have all identified the dead bodies of the IPOB/ESM members positively as their attackers and also identified the three (3) vehicles recovered as those used by the attackers.
During the encounter, two (2) of the police armored personnel carriers (APC) were riddled with bullets but survived the gun battle.
The Commissioner of Police Imo State, CP Abutu Yaro commended the gallant effort of the team for apprehending and neutralizing Ahmed Gulak’s Killers, and admonished them to continue to protect the public space.
