Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has raised the alarm that the South-East zone is under siege by the activities of Eastern Security Network (ESN) which is the security arm is Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), bandits, armed robbers and criminals.

Uzodimma said this while receiving the new General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, Major General Umar Musa, on a courses visit at Government House, Owerri.

The governor regretted that all efforts being made to stamp them out had been futile as they are adamant in their activities of destroying government property, killing innocent citizens, burning down police stations and generally retarding development in the zone.

He stated the commitment of the military and his government to fight against criminality in South-East, assuring that they are recommittedto working together to stamp out crime and criminality in the South-East in particular and Nigeria in general.

He said: “Governors and the military are in agreement that insecurity in the region which is fueled by banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality has impacted negatively on the socio-economic lives of the people, hence concerted efforts are required to change the tide.”

The governor noted that insecurity has challenged government so much and that government will continue to encourage the military and other arms of the Armed Forces to help government bring peace and ensure security to the South East.

Earlier,General Musa informed the governor that he was in Imo “to pay a courtesy call as tradition demands” and“to inform the governor that he has fully assumed duties as the new GOC in the South-East.(Nigerian Tribune:Text, excluding headline)