Nigerian Lady Apologizes, Recants R*pe Allegation Against Footballer Victor Ebele

Chioma Oniniwu, a Nigerian woman who had previously accused Singapore-based Nigerian footballer Victor Ebele of r*pe, has now formally withdrawn her allegations. The retraction follows Oniniwu’s recent legal ordeal, which saw her arrested on Wednesday, August 26, charged in court, remanded, and subsequently granted bail.

It was in 2025 that Ms. Oniniwu first made her claims on X (formerly Twitter), asserting that Victor Ebele had r*ped her. She further alleged that members of his family, including his mother and sister, were harassing her for seeking justice. Her initial posts also implicated Victor Ebele's more popular brother, Frank Ebele, a fellow professional footballer, whom she claimed was protecting his sibling. Additionally, Oniniwu had accused the police of bullying her when she went to report the incident.

Eleven months after her initial accusation, on Saturday, August 29, amidst her ongoing legal challenges, Oniniwu returned to X to retract her statement and issue an apology. She posted: "Victor Jr Ebele did not r@pe me, I was going through a difficult time and so frightened I took laws into my hands and wrongly accused him. I recognize how this has affected not just him but his family and I am deeply sorry @FCT_PoliceNG."

In a more detailed official statement, Chioma Oniniwu conveyed her deep remorse: "To Victor Jr. Ebele, Frank Ebele, and the entire Ebele Family, I am writing this letter with a sincere and deeply remorseful heart to apologize for the accusations I made against Victor Ebele in 2025. I acknowledge that my actions and statements caused pain, distress, embarrassment, and damage to Victor's reputation and to the peace of the entire Ebele family. For this, I am truly sorry."

She explained the circumstances that led to her actions: "At the time, I was going through an extremely difficult and frightening period in my life. I was pregnant, overwhelmed by fear and deeply afraid that I would be left to face the pregnancy and everything that came with it alone. I was under immense emotional stress and did not handle the situation in the right way. While I understand that my circumstances do not excuse what I did, I want to sincerely acknowledge that I allowed fear; confusion, and emotional distress to influence my actions and decisions."

Oniniwu expressed regret for the impact of her claims, stating, "I deeply regret accusing Victor of r*pe and the consequences that followed from that accusation. I am also sincerely sorry for defaming his character and for any harm, humiliation, or distress that my words and actions caused him personally as well as his family." She also extended an apology to the Nigerian Police Force: "I would also like to sincerely apologize to the Nigerian Police Force for the disrespect, disruption, and unnecessary burden that my actions may have caused. I recognize the seriousness of involving the police in such matters and regret any inconvenience or difficulty that resulted from my actions."

Concluding her statement, Oniniwu reiterated her apologies: "To Victor, I am truly sorry for the pain and damage my accusations caused you. To Frank, I am sorry for the distress this situation brought upon you. To the entire Ebele family, I sincerely apologize for the embarrassment, hurt, conflict, and disruption that my actions brought to your family. I take responsibility for my actions and deeply regret the way I handled what was a very difficult period in my life. I cannot change what happened, but I can acknowledge the wrong I did, express genuine remorse, and make every effort going forward to conduct myself with greater honesty, responsibility, and respect for everyone involved. Please accept my sincere apology. I am genuinely sorry for the hurt I caused Victor, Frank and the entire Ebele family. With sincere remorse and respect, Chioma Oniniwu." She additionally released a video apology to further convey her regrets.