POLICE ARREST SUSPECT ACCUSED OF CREATING AND CIRCULATING FAKE TINUBU AUDIO CLIP

POLICE ARREST SUSPECT ACCUSED OF CREATING AND CIRCULATING FAKE TINUBU AUDIO CLIP

ABUJA, NIGERIA – JUNE 4, 2026 – THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE HAS ARRESTED IFECHUKWU DENNIS, THE INDIVIDUAL ACCUSED OF CREATING AND DISTRIBUTING AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)-GENERATED AUDIO RECORDING FALSELY PRESENTED AS A LEAKED VOICE NOTE OF PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU.

THE DEVELOPMENT WAS DISCLOSED ON THURSDAY BY THE SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT ON INFORMATION AND STRATEGY, BAYO ONANUGA, IN A STATEMENT SHARED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

ACCORDING TO ONANUGA, THE SUSPECT WAS APPREHENDED IN BENIN CITY BY A SPECIAL POLICE TEAM OPERATING UNDER THE DIRECTIVE OF THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE. HE ADDED THAT THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE IS EXPECTED TO ISSUE AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT PROVIDING FURTHER DETAILS ON THE ARREST AND ONGOING INVESTIGATION.

“THE IGP CRACK TEAM HAS ARRESTED IFECHUKWU DENNIS WHO ORIGINATED THE FAKE VOICE THAT HE PASSED ON TO HIS GULLIBLE TARGETS AS PRESIDENT TINUBU’S VOICE,” ONANUGA STATED.

THE ARREST FOLLOWS A CONTROVERSY THAT EMERGED ON MAY 27, 2026, AFTER A MANIPULATED VIDEO CIRCULATED WIDELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THE VIDEO FEATURED SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTATOR MARTINS VINCENT OTSE, POPULARLY KNOWN AS VERYDARKMAN (VDM), ALONGSIDE AN AI-GENERATED VOICE CLOSELY RESEMBLING THAT OF PRESIDENT TINUBU.

THE FABRICATED AUDIO CONTAINED SEVERAL CONTROVERSIAL CLAIMS, INCLUDING ALLEGATIONS REGARDING INSECURITY IN THE SOUTH-EAST, ASSERTIONS CONCERNING THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, AND REMARKS SUGGESTING INDIFFERENCE TO THE ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS FACED BY NIGERIANS.

SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY MULTIPLE MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS REPORTEDLY FOUND THAT VERYDARKMAN WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING OR PUBLISHING THE MANIPULATED CONTENT. FINDINGS INDICATED THAT AN UNIDENTIFIED INDIVIDUAL HAD EXTRACTED FOOTAGE FROM THE ACTIVIST’S ORIGINAL INSTAGRAM VIDEO, OVERLAID IT WITH THE AI-GENERATED AUDIO, AND REDISTRIBUTED THE ALTERED VERSION ACROSS VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

DESPITE REPORTS CLEARING THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTATOR OF INVOLVEMENT, THE INCIDENT SPARKED WIDESPREAD DEBATE AND CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY REGARDING THE MISUSE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION.

THE PRESIDENCY HAD EARLIER CONDEMNED THE CIRCULATION OF THE FABRICATED CONTENT, DESCRIBING IT AS A SERIOUS ABUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THE INCIDENT ALSO GENERATED PUBLIC DISCUSSION FOLLOWING FACT-CHECKING REPORTS THAT ESTABLISHED THE ORIGINAL VIDEO SHARED BY VERYDARKMAN DID NOT CONTAIN THE MANIPULATED AUDIO.

AUTHORITIES SAY INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE MATTER REMAIN ONGOING AS EFFORTS CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY AND PROSECUTE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE CREATION AND DISSEMINATION OF FALSE AND MISLEADING DIGITAL CONTENT.