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| We are sorry, we lied! BBC apologises for publishing false news about cannibal restaurant in Anambra State |
In the report, BBC had reported that suspicious residents in Anambra State told police about rumours that the restaurant was cooking human meat for customers. It also said when police raided the restaurant, fresh human heads, still bleeding were discovered.
The BBC said the blood found in the restaurant by the police were in the process of being drained into a plastic bag.
However, the Anambra State Police Command immediately dismissed the story as false. The police spokesman said the report was not true because it did not happen. Nigerians in their usual anti-Igbo stance took the opportunity to further malign Igbo-speaking Biafrans as cannibals and claiming that Biafra was full of evil.
Following the uproar by many Igbo-speaking Biafrans about the malicious and unfounded story, the international media outfit apologised for publishing the fake news. The BBC published an apology, saying the story was false and inappropriate.
BBC said it had already begun investigations to confirm what led to such publication and will take necessary steps to ensure the mistake does not occur again.
“The story about the Nigerian restaurant which we published here frame a mistake and we apologise. It was incorrect and BBC published without the proper checks. We have removed the story and have launched an urgent investigation into how this happened,” BBC said.
It added that the BBC Swahili service’s reputation for accuracy and balance remains important.
On its turn, the Daily Mail, which also published the story also revealed that the article has been removed from its website.
The ball is now in the hands of Biafran human rights activists and lawyers to take appropriate actions following this malicious story that has caused Ndi Igbo a great distress and trauma.
Following the uproar by many Igbo-speaking Biafrans about the malicious and unfounded story, the international media outfit apologised for publishing the fake news. The BBC published an apology, saying the story was false and inappropriate.
BBC said it had already begun investigations to confirm what led to such publication and will take necessary steps to ensure the mistake does not occur again.
“The story about the Nigerian restaurant which we published here frame a mistake and we apologise. It was incorrect and BBC published without the proper checks. We have removed the story and have launched an urgent investigation into how this happened,” BBC said.
It added that the BBC Swahili service’s reputation for accuracy and balance remains important.
On its turn, the Daily Mail, which also published the story also revealed that the article has been removed from its website.
The ball is now in the hands of Biafran human rights activists and lawyers to take appropriate actions following this malicious story that has caused Ndi Igbo a great distress and trauma.
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