The police have denied an attack allegedly carried out by militants on gas pipelines at Ikot Osute in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Murtala Manni, commissioner of police in the state, told a radio station in Uyo, the state capital, that there had been no attack on any pipeline, saying rather than there had been a technical issue that caused the gas to leak.
According to Manni, experts from Port Harcourt were aware of the incident and were making plans to have the section of the pipeline repaired, as there has been no militant activity in the state.
In the same vein, the state government has denied any attack, saying nothing of such has happened in the state.
Aniekan Umanah, commissioner for information, said there was no truth in the claims that a gas pipeline was attacked by militants, saying, “There is no iota of truth in the claims making the rounds in the social media.
“As at Thursday morning, when security operatives and officials of the state government visited Ikot Osute, the state ministry of environment, Nigerian Gas Company personnel and other gas companies operating the area were on site, working round the clock to ensure safety in the area.”
He enjoined Akwa Ibom people and indeed Nigerians to remain calm and go about their businesses, as government was committed to protecting lives and property of all citizens in the state. He assured that security agents had cordoned off the area to forestall any eventuality.
There were reports that militants had hit a gas pipeline in the state causing considerable damage. The report was attributed to a twitter handle belonging to one of the militant groups in the Niger Delta.
