Ejike Ofoegbu Experience, owner and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, has issued a public apology and full retraction over fabricated stories published about Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, Executive Governor of Anambra State, and members of his family.
In a statement he released, Ofoegbu admitted that the publications were false, fabricated, and not based on any verified facts or credible sources.
Ofoegbu said the articles should never have been presented as news and did not come from Governor Soludo, his son, his family, or any official representative.
“I publicly admit that the stories I published concerning Governor Soludo and his son were completely fake, false, fabricated, and untrue,” he stated.
He listed some of the false posts to include claims such as:
– “I will arrest anyone who calls Ozo my son. He is not my son. I disowned him years ago…”
– “I Don’t Take Advice From My Father. He Was a Drunkard Who Beat My Mom When I Was Young…”
– “I ordered Ozo from Temu. He is Chinese-made, not my son…”
– “They should organize a drinking competition between my father and Wike…”
“I state clearly and without reservation that every one of the statements above was fake. They should not be regarded as factual reports or genuine quotations. I take full responsibility for publishing them,” Ofoegbu said.
The publisher further acknowledged that the false posts were not the only fabricated stories. He said he also published misleading reports involving Governor Soludo and Mr. Peter Obi, including claims that Mr. Obi would defeat Governor Soludo in an election.
“Those stories were also completely false, were not based on any verified facts, and should never have been published,” he added.
Ofoegbu admitted the motivation behind the publications.
“I sincerely admit that I published such stories in pursuit of online traffic, audience engagement, and financial gain. I now realize that no amount of money or online attention can justify spreading false information or damaging another person’s reputation.”
He expressed deep regret for the embarrassment, reputational harm, and public misunderstanding caused by the fabricated reports.
“To Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, I respectfully and humbly ask for your forgiveness. I sincerely apologize for my actions and for publishing information that was false,” he said.
He also apologized to the people of Anambra State, readers of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, and everyone who saw or shared the false publications.
“This statement serves as my full and unconditional retraction of those publications. They were false, fabricated, and should be disregarded in their entirety,” Ofoegbu declared.
“I am committed to correcting this mistake and ensuring that such an incident does not happen again.”
He concluded: “Once again, I sincerely ask Governor Soludo, his family, and the general public to forgive me.”
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