I made up stories about Soludo, son for financial gain – Blogger

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A blogger, Ejike Ofoegbu , has issued a public apology and unconditional retraction over a series of false stories published about Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and his son, Ozonna admitting that the reports were fabricated to generate online traffic and financial gain.

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Ofoegbu, the owner and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and News, made the apology in a statement titled “Public Apology and Full Retraction”, shared on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the Governor of Abia State on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma.

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In the statement, he admitted that several reports attributed to Soludo and his son were entirely fabricated and were not based on verified facts or credible sources.

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“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.

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“They were not based on any verified facts or credible source, and they should never have been presented as news,” he said.

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The publisher specifically retracted several viral posts, including fabricated claims that Soludo had disowned his son, Ozo; that Ozo described his father as a drunkard who abused his mother; a satirical claim that the governor “ordered Ozo from Temu”; and another post purportedly quoting Ozo challenging Nyesom Wike to a drinking competition with his father.

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“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,” he added.

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Ofoegbu also admitted publishing other false reports involving Soludo and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, including claims suggesting Obi would defeat the governor in an election.

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“I also wish to acknowledge that the false posts listed above were not the only fabricated stories I published about Governor Soludo. Among other posts on Igbo Times Magazine and INews, I also published false and misleading stories involving Governor Soludo and Mr. Peter Obi, including claims that Mr Peter Obi would defeat Governor Soludo in an election.

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“Those stories were also completely false, were not based on any verified facts, and should never have been published,” he stated.

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The publisher confessed that the publications were driven by the desire to attract audience engagement and generate revenue.

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“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. I deeply regret my actions and accept full responsibility for everything I published,” he said.

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He apologised to Governor Soludo, his family, associates, readers of his platforms and the people of Anambra State for the embarrassment and reputational damage caused by the reports.

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“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.

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“I also apologise to the people of Anambra State, readers of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, and everyone who may have seen or shared these false publications. I am committed to correcting this mistake and ensuring that such an incident does not happen again.

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“This statement serves as my full and unconditional retraction of those publications. They were false, fabricated, and should be disregarded in their entirety,” he added.

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