AWKA, Nigeria — Ejike Ofoegbu, the publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, has issued a public apology and withdrawn a series of fabricated reports about Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and members of his family after his arrest.
According to a report by 247ureports on June 11, 2026, Ofoegbu admitted that the publications were false and had been produced to attract online traffic, increase audience engagement and generate revenue.
“I publicly admit that the stories I published concerning Governor Soludo and his son were completely fake, false, fabricated, and untrue,” Ofoegbu said in a signed retraction.
“They were not based on any verified facts or credible source, and they should never have been presented as news.”
Fabricated Claims About Soludo and His Son
The retracted publications included several reports portraying an acrimonious relationship between Soludo and his son, Ozo.
One falsely claimed that the governor had disowned his son and described him as a Chinese-made product purchased from the online marketplace Temu.
Another attributed remarks to Ozo accusing his father of being a “drunkard” who had abused his mother.
A separate article claimed that Ozo had challenged members of the public to organise a drinking competition between Soludo and Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Ofoegbu acknowledged that the incidents and quotations were invented and had no factual basis.
The reports circulated across blogs and social media platforms before his arrest and subsequent retraction.
Publisher Admits Financial Motive
Ofoegbu also withdrew reports concerning Soludo and Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State.
Those publications included claims about Obi’s prospects of defeating Soludo in a governorship election.
Ofoegbu admitted that the reports were manufactured to exploit political interest and draw readers to his platforms.
“I sincerely admit that I published such stories in pursuit of online traffic, audience engagement, and financial gain,” he said.
“I now realize that no amount of money or online attention can justify spreading false information or damaging another person’s reputation.”
Ofoegbu offered an apology to Soludo and appealed directly to the governor for forgiveness.
“To Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, I respectfully and humbly ask for your forgiveness,” he said.
