The owner and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, Mr. Ejike Ofoegbu Experience, has issued a public apology and full retraction over a series of false and fabricated stories published about the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, his family, and other individuals.
In a statement released on Friday, Ofoegbu admitted that the reports published by his media platforms concerning Governor Soludo and his son were entirely false, fabricated, and not based on any verified facts or credible sources.
He acknowledged that the publications, which contained fabricated quotations and claims attributed to Governor Soludo and his son, should never have been presented as news.
“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. They were not based on any verified facts or credible source, and they should never have been presented as news,” he stated.
Ofoegbu also disclosed that the false reports involving Governor Soludo were not limited to the publications concerning his son. He admitted publishing other fabricated stories involving Governor Soludo and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, including claims suggesting that Obi would defeat Soludo in an election.
According to him, those reports were equally false, misleading, and published without any factual basis.
The publisher admitted that his actions were motivated by the desire to generate online traffic, audience engagement, and financial gain.
“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 said.
He expressed deep regret over the embarrassment, reputational damage, and misunderstanding the publications may have caused Governor Soludo, his family, associates, and members of the public.
Ofoegbu offered an unreserved apology to Governor Soludo, his family, the people of Anambra State, readers of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, and everyone who may have seen or shared the false publications.
He pledged to uphold higher standards of journalism going forward and assured the public that such an incident would not be repeated.
Describing the statement as his full and unconditional retraction, Ofoegbu urged the public to disregard all the fabricated publications in their entirety and appealed to Governor Soludo and the general public for forgiveness.