The Ebonyi State governor, Engr. David Umahi has raised alarm that members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have threatened to kidnap and kill five governors in the South-East region of Nigeria.

Umahi made the revelation on Sunday at the Nwaegu Military Cantonment in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital during the official flag-off of Operation Egwu Eke III by the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army.

The governor disclosed that the threat from IPOB was received through a text message sent to his wife, maintaining that his state was not part of the region which formed the sovereign states of Biafra as proclaimed by IPOB.

Umahi, who is also the chairman of South East Governors’ Forum however noted that some of the agitations of the secessionist group were genuine except that their approach towards actualizing their objectives was bad and uncivilized.

His words: “The GOC, you are coming at a time  our brothers and sisters of IPOB sending text messages that there will be no elections and insulting the leaders, particularly the South-East governors.

“Just few days back, they sent a text message to my wife that the five governors of South-East would be kidnapped and that their security would overpower that of the governors and after ransom are paid, they would kill them and kill themselves.

“As a leader in the zone, I must say that some of their complaints are genuine but the approach is very bad, that is why the leaders of South-East are not in support of their approach.

“And so, we are not against them but their approach. And as the Chief Security Officer of the state, I do not welcome them. Ebonyi state is not part of Biafra, we are a sovereign state.

“We don’t want to be colonized again. We are a state demanding better treatment in the affairs of our nation.”

Umahi also maintained that he would report some cult groups in the state to Operation Egwu Eke III because they had breached an earlier agreement reached following recent clashes recorded in the state.