Zungeru hydroelectric power station denies explosion reports, calls them ‘fake news, malicious lies’

The Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant on Monday vehemently denied reports of an explosion at the facility. In a series of statements issued on Monday, officials from the power plant and the Niger State Police slammed the reports as “fake news” and “a blatant lie.”

Siraj Abdullahi, Executive Director of Zungeru Hydropower Plant, issued a brief statement to directly address the rumors.

He stated that “This is a malicious lie. We are fine in Zungeru, nothing happened and we are on the Grid.”

Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, the plant’s parent company, also released an official press release echoing the sentiment. They slammed the report as “highly irresponsible and insensitive” and highlighted the potential negative impact on investors, partners and staff.

The statement further reassured the public that the plant was operational and had just completed a 15-day trial run that successfully increased power supply to the national grid.

“The fake news about the explosion at the Zungeru hydroelectric power plant resulting in loss of life, which was published in the newspaper on July 1, 2024 and circulated on social media, has come to our attention.

“We wish to express our strong objection to this false and misleading report by stating categorically that no such incident occurred. This report is not only false but also highly irresponsible and insensitive, given the widespread problem of insecurity in Nigeria.

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“The impact of these misleading reports is serious and far-reaching, causing unnecessary panic among investors, partners, staff and their families. It has the potential to shake the trust and confidence we have worked so hard to build over many years.

“The Board and Management of Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant seeks to assure the public that the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant is intact and continues to provide electricity to homes and businesses in Nigeria following the successful completion of a 15-day trial run that significantly improved power supply to the grid,” the statement read.

The Niger State Police has also denied the rumors. The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun issued a statement urging the public to disregard the reports and asserted that no such incident occurred at Zungeru Dam.

“We wish to state that there is no report of any explosion at Zungeru Dam, as reported by some online media, we urge the public to disregard it. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding with the Police and other security operatives,” Abiodun said.

The origin of the fake news remains unclear. Several media outlets, including Thisday, Vanguard, and Arise TV, were named by Abdullahi as having published the news.

“There is fake news in some media outlets. Including Thisday, Vanguard, Arise TV and some others about an explosion in Zungeru. This is a heinous lie. We are fine in Zungeru, nothing happened and we are on the Grid. Please ignore this hate news,” Abdullahi explained.

Zungeru Hydropower Plant denies explosion reports, calls them ‘fake news, malicious lies’ first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.