Military and community sources in Bayelsa have described some media reports of militants’ attack on an oil pipeline in Koluama 1, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state as “fake news.”
Some online media had reported that a militant group blew up a pipeline within Conoil’s oilfield near the Atlantic coastline in Koluama 1 settlement.
Maj. Ibrahim Abdullahi, Spokesman of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, condemned the reports in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Yenagoa.
Abdullahi described the reports as a hoax and the handiwork of mischief makers aimed at misinforming the public.
“After exhaustive verifications following enquiries from media practitioners, we found out that no such incident happened.
“We enjoin the media to crosscheck their facts before rushing to the press to avoid publishing falsehood such as this report,” Abdullahi said.
Also, James Dou, a resident of the area told NAN on phone that Koluama 1 had been peaceful since the New Year with the joint military task force frequently patrolling the waterways.
“I am in Koluama 1 as we speak and there is no report of any attack on Conoil or any oil facility nearby. I did not hear any explosion neither did I hear anyone discuss it,” Dou said.
Mr Mathew Sele-Epri, a community leader in Koluama 1 and Chairman, KEFFES Rural Development Board, said the report was false.
“There is no such incident. If it happened I should have known. I have made contact with my people back home and there is nothing like that; it is fake news,” the community leader said.