Oscarline Onwuemenyi
05 April 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has dismissed as fake news making the rounds that he said most oil blocks are owned by Northerners.
Senator Murray-Bruce described the write-up circulating on WhatsApp Messenger which was credited to him as mischievous and untrue.
In a chat with the media in Abuja, he maintained that the message was unsubstantiated and misleading.
Murray-Bruce, who represents Bayelsa East Senatorial district, said such message was an orchestrated media campaign commissioned to smear his image.
He maintained that he uses his Twitter handle, Facebook page and his weekly backpage column on ThisDay to disseminate official messages to the public.
The Senator explained that these were delicate times, urging the public to be wary of forces to turn Nigerians against each other.
He said, “There is a write up circulating on WhatsApp about oil wells purportedly from me. I never wrote such. It is fake news. I have a backpage column in ThisDay and verified Twitter handle and Facebook page. Anything I write is published on these platforms.
“These are delicate times and there are forces out to turn Nigerians against each other. Those people mentioned in the said fake news story are some of my dearest and closest friends and it can only be the intention of those behind the write up to destroy these friendships.
“I will never publish an article on WhatsApp. And since I am not the first person that this has happened to, I will urge Nigerians to apply discretion before circulating stories especially on WhatsApp. Please be wary of fake news.”
