Starnews NG wishes to clarify and apologise regarding the publication titled, “Former Banker-Turned-Businessman on the Run After Armed Robbery Implication,” released on 21st December 2024.
The report, credited to a national daily, contained unverified allegations implicating Mr. Olufemi Olushakin in criminal activities. Following a formal complaint from Mr. Olushakin’s legal representatives, we conducted a thorough review and now acknowledged that the publication was misleading.
The story alleged Mr. Olushakin’s involvement in an armed robbery at a hotel in Ibadan, Oyo State, and claimed he was declared wanted by the Oyo State Police Command with a bounty placed on him. These claims were baseless, false, and lacked any evidentiary support.
Further inaccuracies included misrepresentation of court proceedings and failure to verify the identity of the presiding magistrate. Our failure to independently fact-check these claims before republishing them was an oversight that falls below the ethical standards we uphold.
While the report was syndicated from another publication, Starnews NG takes full responsibility for its republication. We sincerely regret the distress and reputational damage this has caused to Mr. Olushakin, a respected businessman and law-abiding citizen.
As part of our commitment to ethical journalism: We hereby retract the publication in its entirety. We tender an unreserved public apology to Mr. Olushakin. This retraction and apology will be prominently displayed across our platform, in line with his legal representatives’ demands.
Starnews NG is committed to fairness, truth, and professionalism. We are taking steps to strengthen our editorial processes to prevent a recurrence of such lapses.
Signed,
Editorial Board
Starnews NG
Leave a Reply