The group released a statement via its publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, saying it has received rumors that the President is planning to visit the southeast state. The group said it will ensure the visit is not successful by enforcing a lockdown. The group in its statement said the President is not welcomed in the region as long as its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is still in detention.

Reacting to the threat, Governor Umahi said the President’s visit to the state was already billed for early next year, adding, however, that projects to that effect (in the state), were being executed as if he was to visit this month (December 2021).

Umahi stated this during the state annual Thanksgiving Service at the Government House Chapel, Abakaliki. He added that the IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, lacked both the capacity and warfare prowess to stop Buhari from visiting the state.

 “I saw where one misguided element that calls himself IPOB, said Mr President is not welcomed in Ebonyi. He is inconsequential and I want you to put it on social media.

I was in Paris and I told Mr President that the leaders of the South-East would want to visit him over the issue of peace in the South-East, and I appeal to him to postpone the visit till early next year.

But I didn’t want to tell our people because I was urging them to keep pushing our projects as if the President was going to come this year. And I’m not sure up to three or four people knew this; so, I kept it to myself.

So, Mr President will come when we want him to come. That IPOB guy is an inconsequential human being. If he is serious, let him hit the wall to Ebonyi State and let him see, if he would find feet to go back.

Somebody will sit down somewhere and be talking rubbish and they will be misguiding our children to go and be killed, but he himself will not be at the war front.

Any of them that will talk rubbish about security in South-East should come and lead the war. And I will also lead the war for Ebonyi State. And like David, we will always kill Goliath.

When they talk rubbish, just ignore them. This land belongs to God.”the governor said.