In a public development, Barr. Sabina Nkiru Ezeoke of S.N. Ezeoke & Company has issued a formal letter of retraction and apology to Hon. Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives. The letter, dated December 10, 2024, was shared following a defamatory post made by the barrister on X (formerly Twitter) on December 5, 2024.
In the now-retracted post, Barr. Ezeoke falsely alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had raided the home of Nasir El-Rufai’s son, discovering $800 million, ₦700 billion in cash, and ₦1 trillion worth of drugs. Upon further investigation, she discovered that the claims were entirely untrue.
The letter reads:
“I hereby wholeheartedly apologize for the said post. I did not verify the veracity or truthfulness of the statement before posting, and all attempts thereafter to verify it proved abortive. I have since discovered that the statement is completely false.”
Barr. Ezeoke expressed deep regret for the harm the post may have caused, emphasizing that her actions were unintentional. She further stated:
“I never intended to offend or embarrass you, your family, or the Federal House of Representatives, nor to harm your reputation.”
This public apology highlights the importance of fact-checking and responsible use of social media, particularly by professionals in positions of public trust. The incident underscores the potential consequences of disseminating unverified information.
Hon. Bello El-Rufai has not issued any official statement in response to the apology as of the time of this report.
