Army goes tough on fake news, vows to unmask, prosecute perpetrators

THE military Joint Task Force (JTF) codenamed Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) has vowed to unmask and prosecute carriers of fake news to serve as a deterrent to others.

Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, OPDS, Major Ibrahim Abdullahi, issued the threat in a terse statement signed and made available to TribuneOnline on Wednesday in Warri, Delta State.

He said the move was expedient as it was becoming a pastime for the perpetrators to regularly and shamelessly churn out unfounded stories concerning the Niger Delta in recent times.

Such spurious information, he said, was capable of heating the polity and creating panic among the people, especially ahead of the general elections.

Ibrahim cited recent instances where rumours of blown-up pipelines facilities and the besieging of Gbaramatu kingdom by operatives of OPDS with gunboats and fighter jets were ingloriously rife.

“Operation Delta Safe has noticed with dismay that desperate and disgruntled elements within the society have vowed to foment trouble by spreading unfounded rumours aimed at misinforming the public and creating panic.

“The string of these rumours began with reports that CONOIL facilities/pipeline at Koluama 1 settlement of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area have been attacked and blown up on Saturday 5th January 2019. The report turned out to be fake.

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“Furthermore between Saturday 19th to Sunday 20th January 2019 another fake news started rearing its ugly head again.

“This time the mischief makers alleged that military gunboats and fighter aircraft were laying siege to Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area in preparation for an attack. This was equally confirmed to be fake.

“Again, it was alleged that the Tanker Drivers’ Union, Bayelsa State Chapter planned to block the East-West road for unknown reasons on 22nd January 2019 which were also confirmed to be fake news.

“All these are designed to create panic and an atmosphere of insecurity to lives and properties within the Niger Delta region.

“We in OPERATION DELTA SAFE do not have issues with the environment where we operate.

“We have maintained peace, law and order as far as our mandate is concerned.

“All the critical Oil and gas infrastructures are secured and production is ongoing. Slanderous utterances and libellous publications would NOT profit the society.

“Peace and progress thrive only in conducive atmospheres and climes devoid of falsehood.

“We strongly call on these mischief makers, rumour mills and desperadoes to desist from their nefarious activities,” he admonished.

The army officer “equally enjoins the media to verify the authenticity of news stories before going to the press,” noting that “rushing to break news which would later turn out to be false has a strong tendency to negatively affect your credibility over time.”