A Nigerian blogger, Ejike Ofoegbu, has tendered a public apology and unconditional retraction of a series of fabricated stories he published about Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and his son, Ozonna.
Ofoegbu, owner and publisher of *Igbo Times Magazine and News*, admitted that the reports were entirely fake and were created solely to drive online traffic and generate financial gain.
The apology was contained in a statement titled “Public Apology and Full Retraction,” which was shared on Saturday by Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to the Governor of Abia State on Media and Publicity.
In the statement, Ofoegbu explicitly admitted fabricating multiple stories attributed to Governor Soludo and his son.
“I publicly admit that the stories I published concerning Governor Soludo and his son were completely fake, false, fabricated, and untrue. They did not come from Governor Soludo, his son, his family, or any official representative,” he said.
“They were not based on any verified facts or credible source, and they should never have been presented as news.”
The publisher specifically retracted several viral posts, including false claims that Governor Soludo had disowned his son, that the son described his father as a drunkard who abused his mother, a satirical claim that the governor “ordered Ozo from Temu,” and another post alleging that Ozo challenged Nyesom Wike to a drinking competition with his father.
“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 added.
He also acknowledged publishing other misleading stories involving Governor Soludo and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, including claims that Obi would defeat Soludo in an election.
“Those stories were also completely false, were not based on any verified facts, and should never have been published,” he stated.
Ofoegbu confessed that his actions were motivated by the pursuit of audience engagement and revenue.
“I sincerely admit that I published such stories in pursuit of online traffic, audience engagement, and financial gain. I now realise that no amount of money or online attention can justify spreading false information or damaging another person’s reputation,” he said.
“I deeply regret my actions and accept full responsibility for everything I published.”
The blogger tendered an unreserved apology to Governor Soludo, his family, associates, readers of his platforms, and the people of Anambra State for the embarrassment and reputational harm caused.
“To Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, I respectfully and humbly ask for your forgiveness. I sincerely apologise for my actions and for publishing information that was false,” he said.
He further apologised to the people of Anambra State and all who may have seen or shared the false publications, pledging not to repeat such actions.
“This statement serves as my full and unconditional retraction of those publications. They were false, fabricated, and should be disregarded in their entirety,” Ofoegbu concluded.
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