Apple Bite International Magazine hereby publishes this Absolute Retraction in respect of our article originally published on or about 21st February 2026, bearing the headline: “Nigerian Pilot Faults Dapo Abiodun’s $800m Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport, Says Runway Undulates.” This retraction is issued freely, with the full authority of the Editorial Board of this publication, and is published with prominence equal to that of the original article.
This retraction follows the receipt of legal correspondence dated 23rd and 24th February 2026 from Henzel & Whitaker, Barristers & Solicitors, acting on behalf of Captain Susan Ekpoh. Through that correspondence and the detailed professional clarification provided therein by Captain Ekpoh’s legal team, we have arrived at a complete and informed understanding of the matter. It is that clarification, not merely the legal pressure, that compels and anchors this retraction.
The Clarification
The foundation of this retraction rests entirely on the professional clarification conveyed by Henzel & Whitaker on Captain Ekpoh’s behalf. That clarification has been carefully considered by our editorial board, and we accept it without reservation.
Captain Ekpoh, as a licensed and experienced Nigerian pilot, made a personal social media post on 21st February 2026 describing her landing experience at the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport, Ogun State. Her post referenced what she observed as an undulating runway. At no point did she present this observation as a formal complaint, a regulatory indictment, a safety allegation, or a criticism of the Ogun State Government. It was a pilot’s personal note of a landing characteristic, nothing more, nothing less.
Through her legal representatives, Captain Ekpoh clarified, and we are now fully enlightened that the mere description of runway undulation does not, in aviation practice, equate to regulatory non-compliance, structural failure, or safety compromise. Variations in runway gradient are not uncommon in airport infrastructure worldwide, given the engineering realities associated with terrain, cost, and large-scale land development. As such, gradient variations within prescribed regulatory limits do not render a runway unsafe nor invalidate certification.
By presenting the term “undulates” as though it were synonymous with danger or infrastructural failure, our article created an alarmist narrative that was neither stated nor implied by Captain Ekpoh.
In plain terms, an undulating runway is not a defective runway. It is not a dangerous runway. It is not a runway that has failed any standard. The term describes a physical characteristic, one that pilots observe, note, and accommodate as part of their professional experience, and it carries no implied condemnation of the facility in which it appears.
It was precisely this professional clarity, as articulated by Captain Ekpoh’s legal team, that rendered our editorial error unmistakable. By treating the word “undulates” as synonymous with structural failure or safety deficiency, our article created an alarmist narrative that had no factual foundation whatsoever. That was our error, and this retraction exists to directly and finally correct it.
The partial retraction issued on 23rd February 2026 did not adequately address these matters, was not published with sufficient prominence, and fell short of the full correction that accuracy and fairness required. This absolute retraction supersedes and replaces that partial retraction in its entirety.
No Editorial Liability
The Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport has received the relevant regulatory certifications and approvals from the appropriate aviation authorities. Nothing in Captain Ekpoh’s original post suggested otherwise. We acknowledge that our editorial choices created the false impression of a certified state infrastructure project being held under professional scrutiny, when no such scrutiny was ever directed at it by the individual whose name we invoked.
This publication wishes to state, clearly and on the record, that the Ogun State Government and the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport bear no editorial liability arising from our article. The framing, characterisations, and political narrative contained in the original publication were entirely of our own making. They did not originate from, nor were they substantiated by, any credible allegation, official complaint, or professional indictment directed at the Ogun State Government or the airport.
The Ogun State Government, His Excellency Governor Dapo Abiodun, and all associated institutions of state bear no responsibility for the contents of the original article. Any reputational impact on the airport project arising from our publication was entirely unwarranted and was caused solely by our own editorial misjudgement. We state this without equivocation.
Terms of This Absolute Retraction
In accordance with the foregoing, Apple Bite International Magazine hereby confirms the following:
a) The original article has been, and shall remain, completely removed from our website, our social media channels, and all digital platforms under our editorial control.
b) We will engage third-party platforms, including Nairaland and any other forum carrying the original article, to request its removal.
c) This Absolute Retraction is published with prominence equal to that of the original article, in fulfilment of the principles of fair and accurate reporting.
Conscientious Journalism, Not Malice
Apple Bite International Magazine states plainly, our original article was not published out of malice toward Captain Susan Ekpoh, toward the Ogun State Government, or toward any individual or institution referenced therein. It was equally not motivated by any political agenda or partisan interest.
Our motivation was, and remains, the conscientious duty of the press to bring matters of genuine public relevance to the attention of the Nigerian public. Airport infrastructure, aviation safety standards, and the quality of facilities at which Nigerian pilots and passengers are served are all matters of legitimate public concern. It is that conviction, not malice, not politics, that drove the original publication. We believe, and will continue to believe, that responsible journalism has a duty to inform the public on questions of infrastructure and safety in ways that empower citizens to understand the world around them.
Where we fell short was not in that conviction, but in the discipline with which we applied it. We did not sufficiently interrogate the technical meaning of Captain Ekpoh’s observation before framing it in terms that went far beyond what she had said.
The lesson this publication draws from this episode is clear, the public interest is best served by accuracy, not alarm. To inform conscientiously means to inform correctly. Responsible journalism does not distort the words of individuals in pursuit of a larger narrative, however well-intentioned. We remain committed to that standard, and this retraction is both its expression and its proof.
Yours faithfully,
Seunmanuel Faleye
Editor in Chief
Apple Bite International Magazine
26th February, 2026
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
