Loading ...AWKA, NIGERIA — In a humiliating and total professional collapse, the owner and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, Ejike Ofoegbu Experience, has issued an unreserved public apology and full retraction to the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, admitting that he systematically fabricated malicious, fake news stories against the Governor’s family to chase digital traffic and financial gain.
The publisher confessed that a series of viral, highly embarrassing articles detailing an imaginary, bitter feud between Governor Soludo and his son, Ozo, were completely invented in his office with zero basis in reality.
The Fabricated “Temu Son” And “Drunkard” Tales
The fake stories, which circulated heavily across regional blogs and social media spaces, featured completely manufactured quotes attributed directly to the Governor and his son.
In one of the most bizarre fabrications, the publisher claimed Governor Soludo jokingly told reporters he disowned his son, calling him a “Chinese-made” product ordered from the e-commerce platform Temu. Another malicious post fabricated a quote from the son accusing the Governor of being a historical “drunkard” who abused his mother. A third invented post claimed the son challenged the public to organize a drinking competition between Governor Soludo and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
“I publicly admit that the stories I published concerning Governor Soludo and his son were completely fake, false, fabricated, and untrue,” Ejike Ofoegbu Experience stated in his signed retraction. “They were not based on any verified facts or credible source, and they should never have been presented as news.”
Driven By The Chase For Financial Gain
Beyond the immediate family slurs, the publisher also confessed to inventing political friction between Governor Soludo and the opposition leader, Mr. Peter Obi. Igbo Times Magazine had previously published false, unverified reports claiming Peter Obi would easily defeat Soludo in an upcoming gubernatorial race—stories the publisher now admits were entirely manufactured to exploit political tensions for engagement clicks.
| Fabricated Headline Log | Retracted Fake Content Disseminated By Igbo Times Magazine |
| The Disowning Hoax | Falsely claimed Soludo disowned his son Ozo and banned anyone from calling him his child. |
| The Character Slur | Fabricated a quote from the son labeling Governor Soludo a historical “drunkard.” |
| The “Temu” Mockery | Invented an entirely fake press interaction where Soludo called his son “Chinese-made.” |
| The Drinking Bet | Claimed the son put his life on the line betting on his father’s alcohol tolerance. |
| The Political Spin | Manufactured fake electoral metrics involving Soludo and Peter Obi for clickbait. |
The media owner openly acknowledged that his editorial misconduct was driven strictly by greed, aiming to milk online traffic, spike audience numbers, and generate ad revenue by destroying the character of public figures.
A Humbling Plea For Forgiveness
Desperate to avoid severe legal retribution, defamation lawsuits, or state prosecution under the Cybercrimes Act, Ofoegbu issued an unconditional, sweeping plea for mercy directly to the Anambra First Family and the general public.
“I sincerely admit that I published such stories in pursuit of online traffic, audience engagement, and financial gain,” the publisher added. “I now realize that no amount of money or online attention can justify spreading false information or damaging another person’s reputation. To Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, I respectfully and humbly ask for your forgiveness.”
Legal analysts in Awka note that while the full retraction and apology are a massive win for the Governor’s public standing, the incident highlights the dangerous underbelly of the Nigerian digital media ecosystem, where blog owners routinely sacrifice basic journalistic ethics to cash out on sensationalized fake news.
