The Rivers State Government has not ordered the closure of primary and secondary schools in the state.
The Commissioner of Education, Prof. Kanye Ebeku, spoke on the issue in a statement on Friday.
Ebeku described as fake news an earlier report that Governor Nyesom Wike ordered the closure of schools over concerns that there was an upsurge in coronavirus infections in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that there was an earlier statement purportedly signed by an official of the ministry announcing the shutdown of schools.
The Commissioner said the statement was the handiwork of mischief makers whose intention was to pit the people against the state government.
Ebeku said: “The attention of Rivers Education Ministry has been drawn to a fake news trending on social media that Gov. Nyesom Wike ordered closure of schools for two weeks.
“The ministry hereby categorically states that the news is false and should be treated as false news.
“The news is the handiwork of fraudsters and mischief makers who derive pleasure in misleading members of the public and causing confusion.”
The Commissioner urged the academic community and other stakeholders to ignore the mischievous and misleading information, adding that security agencies had been directed to arrest and prosecute those behind the fake news.
