NEWS
Woman Retracts Rape Allegation Against Nigerian Footballer Victor Ebele, Issues Public Apology
An Abuja-based woman, Chioma Oniniwu, has publicly withdrawn the rape allegations she previously made against Singapore-based Nigerian footballer, Victor Ebele Jnr, admitting that the claims were false.
Oniniwu made the retraction in a video published on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, in which she apologized to Ebele and members of his family for the emotional distress, embarrassment and reputational damage she said resulted from her earlier social media accusations.
In the video, Oniniwu made a direct admission concerning the allegation, stating: “Victor Ebele never raped me. I was so frightened I took laws into my hands.“
She also appealed to online media platforms, blogs and other outlets that had published reports based on her earlier allegations to remove the reports and correct the record.
The public retraction brings a dramatic turn to a controversy that had attracted significant attention online and placed the Nigerian footballer at the centre of serious allegations.
How the Controversy Started:-
The dispute dates back to September 2025, when Oniniwu took to X, formerly known as Twitter, where she accused Ebele of sexually assaulting her.
Her allegations quickly generated attention on social media, with the woman also accusing officers at the Gwarinpa Police Division in Abuja of failing to properly investigate her complaint. She further alleged that members of Ebele’s family had intimidated her following the accusations.
The allegations subsequently became a subject of public discussion, with competing accounts emerging from both sides of the dispute.
However, electronic chat records later released by the footballer reportedly presented a different account of the relationship between the two parties.
According to the records, Ebele and Oniniwu had been involved in what appeared to be a consensual relationship, while their disagreement allegedly centred on financial issues and claims relating to pregnancy.
Arrest and Court Proceedings:-
The controversy took another turn on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, when Oniniwu was arrested by security operatives.
Her arrest reportedly followed investigations into allegations bordering on cyberbullying, defamation and the filing of false reports.
She was subsequently arraigned before a court in Abuja, which ordered that she be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfilment of her bail conditions.
After satisfying the bail requirements, she was released, with the matter continuing to generate public interest.
Her latest video, however, represents a significant shift from her earlier position, as she has now expressly withdrawn the rape allegation against Ebele and offered a public apology.
Apology to Footballer and His Family:-
In her latest statement, Oniniwu acknowledged the consequences of her earlier claims and apologized to Ebele and his family.
Her admission that the footballer “never raped me” marks a major development in a controversy that had potentially serious implications for the athlete’s reputation and career.
She also called on media platforms and blogs that circulated the original allegations to take down the reports, apparently seeking to limit the continued spread of claims she has now publicly disowned.
The development underscores the far-reaching consequences of allegations made on social media, particularly when they involve serious criminal accusations capable of causing lasting reputational damage.
For Ebele, the retraction provides a public clarification of his position after months of controversy, while Oniniwu’s apology represents a reversal of the allegations that initially brought the dispute into the public domain.