DEBORAH EMIABATA
Ejike Ofoegbu Experience, owner and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, has issued a public apology and full retraction over several stories he published about Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
He has also admitted that they were fabricated stories.
In the statement, Ofoegbu said “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 added that the reports “were not based on any verified facts or credible source, and they should never have been presented as news.”
The publisher also admitted responsibility for publishing fabricated reports involving Governor Soludo and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi.
According to him, “Those stories were also completely false, were not based on any verified facts, and should never have been published.”
Explaining why the reports were published, Ofoegbu said: “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 regret over the impact of the publications, stating “I deeply regret the embarrassment, reputational harm, and misunderstanding these fabricated stories may have caused to Governor Soludo, his family, his associates, and members of the public.”
Addressing Governor Soludo directly, he said “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.”
The statement concluded with a full retraction of the publications, saying “This statement serves as my full and unconditional retraction of those publications. They were false, fabricated, and should be disregarded in their entirety.”
The apology gained widespread attention after it was shared by journalist Rufai Oseni and other users on X, sparking fresh conversations about misinformation, accountability, and ethics in online publishing.
