A blogger, Ejike Ofoegbu, has confessed to publishing a series of false stories against Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State and his son, Ozonna Soludo.
Mr Ofoegbu, the owner and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, then tendered a public apology and unconditional retraction of the false stories against the governor and his son.
The blogger disclosed this in a statement posted on his blog’s Facebook page on Saturday.
He also uploaded a video clip of himself to the page, in which he reiterated that the stories he published on Mr Soludo and his son were “all false and fabricated.”
“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(s), and they should never have been presented as news,” he said.
Mr Ofoegbu also retracted other viral posts, including fabricated claims that Mr Soludo had disowned Ozonna and that the son had described his father as a drunkard who abused his mother.
He also retracted another post in which Ozonna was quoted, challenging Nigeria’s Minister of FCT, 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,” he said.
Mr Ofoegbu also admitted publishing other false reports involving Soludo and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, including claims suggesting Mr Obi would defeat the governor in an election.
“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.
“Those stories were also completely false, were not based on any verified facts, and should never have been published,” he stated.
Why I published the false stories
Mr Ofoegbu acknowledged that the false publications were made for financial gains.
“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.
More apologies
Apart from Mr Soludo, Mr Ofoegbu also apologised to the governor’s family, associates, readers of his platforms and the people of Anambra State.
“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.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, the governor and his son were yet to react to the development as of the time of this report.
