The Editor
A blogger, social media user and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine, Ejike Ofoegbu, has publicly apologised to the Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, his family, and his son, Ozonna, for publishing fabricated and false stories and videos about them.
Ofoegbu admitted responsibility for creating and circulating the “fake” videos on Facebook and other social media platforms in which he falsely claimed to be Soludo’s son, Ozonna Soludo.
There have been trending videos and stories of the governor’s son, Ozonna, where he danced to a music that called out some Nigeria politicians, including his father, publicly shaming them.
In one of the videos the blogger released, he had claimed that Governor Soludo had disowned his son, Ozonna, years ago and was no longer responsible for his actions.
Also, in another video, the blogger quoted Ozonna as granting an interview and stating that he first disowned his father, while listing a number of reasons why he did so.
However, in a video released by Ofoegbu, currently circulating online, he acknowledged that the claims he earlier made were fabricated and apologised to Governor Soludo, his family and Nigerians.
According to him, several statements attributed to both the governor and his son were entirely false.
Among the claims he retracted was a fabricated statement alleging that Soludo had disowned his son, Ozonna. He also admitted inventing quotes falsely attributed to Ozonna concerning his father and other public figures.
Ofoegbu said he created the content to attract online engagement and generate revenue on social media.
He expressed regret over his actions and pledged to publish retractions on the platforms where the videos were shared.
According to him, none of the stories originated from Soludo, his son, any member of his family, or any official representative.
He said, “I wish to offer my deepest and most sincere apology to Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the Executive Governor of Anambra State, his family, and the general public.”
Ofoegbu disclosed that the false posts he published included the following claims:
“Breaking News: ‘I will arrest anyone who calls Ozo my son. He is not my son. I disowned him years ago, and he is no longer a member of the Soludo family.’
“Just In: I Don’t Take Advice From My Father. He Was a Drunkard Who Beat My Mom When I Was Young. His Treatment of My Mother Made Me Decide Never to Take Advice From Him — ‘Soludo’s Son’ Speaks Out.”
“Breaking News: ‘I ordered Ozo from Temu. He is Chinese-made, not my son. Even at the hospital when he was born, I asked the doctor, “I hope you didn’t accidentally exchange my real son.” Ozo is from Temu,’ Soludo jokingly told reporters.”
“Breaking News: ‘They should organise a drinking competition between my father and Wike. I just want to see something. I’m willing to bet my life that my father would win. People don’t understand his drinking capacity.’ — Ozo.”
According to him, he wishes to state clearly and without reservation that every one of the statements above was entirely “false and fabricated”.
He urged members of the public not to regard any of them as factual reports or genuine quotations, adding, “I take full responsibility for publishing them.”
“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, 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 added.
He confessed that he published the fabricated stories in pursuit of online traffic, audience engagement, and financial gain.
According to him, he now realises 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.
“I deeply regret the embarrassment, reputational harm, and misunderstanding these fabricated stories may have caused Governor Soludo, his family, his associates, and members of the public.
“To Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, I respectfully and humbly ask for your forgiveness. I sincerely apologize for my actions and for publishing information that was false,” he added.
He also extended his apology to the people of Anambra State, readers of Igbo Times Magazine and INews, and everyone who may have seen or shared the false publications.
“I am committed to correcting this mistake and ensuring that such an incident does not happen again.
“This statement serves as my full and unconditional retraction of those publications. They were false, fabricated, and should be disregarded in their entirety.
“Once again, I sincerely ask Governor Soludo, his family, and the general public to forgive me,” he added.
