MILITARY OPERATIONS IN ORLU/ORSU AGAINST ESN NOT CIVILIANS — IMO STATE GOVT

Reporter : CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

The Imo State Government has described as untrue the report that innocent civilians have either been killed or harassed by the military who are carrying out an operation in Orlu and Orsu Local Government Areas of the state.

In a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Declan Emelumba, normalcy has returned to Orlu and its environs rather than the alleged worsening security in the areas.

He assured law abiding citizens of the readiness of the government to provide adequate security for protection of lives and property in the state.

In a related development, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Chief Cyprian Akaolisa, said the joint military operation in Orsu Local Government Area of the state was to dislodge members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) who maintain camps inside a forest located in the area.

According to Chief Akaolisa, the government invited the military to help curb activities of the network whom he accused of killing innocent citizens and law enforcement agents in the axis.

He commended the military for their professionalism while they strive to restore sanity in the area.

The reactions followed a social media report that innocent civilians had been killed by a joint military operation going on in Orsu and some boundary communities with Anambra State.