Governors from the South East region under the umbrella of South East Governors’ Forum met on Monday to device strategies to check the rising security challenges in their domains.
The emergency virtual meeting was sequel to the recent upsurge in violent crimes in various states in the region, which resulted in loss of valuable lives and destruction of properties valued billions of naira including government establishments
Some government establishments – police stations, Correctional centres, immigration and INEC offices were mostly affected.
At the virtual meeting of the governors, suggested ways to tackle the security situations in their areas in line with their mandate to secure the lives and property.
Channels Television reports that the states chief excutives vowed to leave no stone unturned in tracking and bringing to justice all those involved in what they described as the armed banditry currently ravaging the South East.
The governors also extended their condolences to the families of all those who have lost their lives during the moment of violent hostilities in the region and appealed to the people to exercise restraint and allow the security agencies to continue with their investigations.
At the meeting, the governors condemned the recent killing of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Gulak, by gunmen on Sunday while on his way to the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
The governors resolved to stand with the Imo State Governor, Senator Uzodimma, and the security agencies in their efforts to unravel the masterminds of the killing.
They also commiserated with the immediate family of Gulak, as well as the government and people of Adamawa State over the unfortunate incident.
The Southeast governors noted that the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to the security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators would further strengthen the bonds of unity and trust between the people of the South East and their northern counterparts.
They thanked their colleagues in the North for their understanding in the face of the killing and give an assurance that the masterminds would be made to face justice.