The Anambra State Police Command has arraigned a man identified as Ejike Ofoegbu, alleged owner and publisher of Igbo Times Magazine and iNews, over a series of social media posts described by authorities as fabricated, untrue and defamatory against the family of Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo.

Police said Ofoegbu was brought before a competent court after he was handed over to them by the Department of State Services in Awka, following a petition that accused him of circulating false information capable of damaging reputations and inciting public disaffection.

Investigators allege that Ofoegbu authored and shared multiple posts in which he falsely claimed that Governor Soludo had disowned his son, widely known as Ozonna, and made other inflammatory remarks about the governor’s private life and family relationships.

In one of the posts cited by the police, Ofoegbu claimed the governor had declared that he would arrest anyone who referred to Ozonna as his son and that he had disowned him years ago. Other posts attributed to Ofoegbu portrayed a fictional rift between father and son, including claims that the younger Soludo had publicly condemned his father’s character and upbringing.

The publications, which circulated widely on social media platforms, were presented by the suspect as breaking news and direct quotes, but police say their investigation found no basis in fact and concluded that the statements were deliberately concocted to malign the governor and his family.

Confronted with the findings, Ofoegbu has reportedly retracted the posts and issued a public apology to Governor Soludo, acknowledging that the stories were false and expressing remorse for the damage they may have caused.

Despite the retraction, the police proceeded with criminal charges. The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that Ofoegbu was arraigned and subsequently remanded in a correctional centre pending further court proceedings.

Ikenga said the case underscores the resolve of law enforcement agencies in the state to tackle the spread of harmful misinformation and defamatory content online, particularly when it targets public officials and has the potential to inflame public sentiment.

The matter is expected to return to court as prosecutors pursue the allegations related to the publication of false and defamatory material, while legal observers watch closely for its implications on the boundaries of online speech and accountability for digital publishers.