The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a man identified as Ifechukwu Dennis over his alleged role in creating and circulating an AI-generated voice recording falsely attributed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The arrest was announced on Thursday by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed that operatives from the Inspector-General of Police’s special investigative team tracked down the suspect following investigations into the controversial audio clip.
According to Onanuga, Dennis was identified as the originator of the fabricated recording, which was allegedly distributed to unsuspecting individuals as an authentic voice note of President Tinubu.
“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 in a post on his official X account.
The arrest comes after days of controversy surrounding a manipulated video that gained widespread attention on social media. The clip, which began circulating on May 27, 2026, featured an AI-generated voice closely resembling that of President Tinubu making a series of controversial and inflammatory remarks.
In the recording, the voice purportedly claimed that insecurity in Nigeria’s South-East region was intentional, alleged that pressure had been placed on political opponents ahead of the 2023 presidential election, and suggested indifference toward the economic challenges facing Nigerians.
The audio was attached to footage originally associated with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), leading many online users to believe he had shared the content.
However, subsequent investigations by several media organizations reportedly found that VDM had not posted the doctored audio. Instead, an unidentified individual allegedly extracted footage from one of his original Instagram videos and superimposed the AI-generated voice before redistributing the altered version online.
The findings sparked widespread debate after the Presidency initially called for VDM to be prosecuted over the incident. Critics questioned the move after fact-checkers confirmed that the original video contained none of the fabricated audio that later went viral.
At the height of the controversy, Onanuga described the circulation of the manipulated content as a serious abuse of social media platforms, emphasizing the dangers posed by artificial intelligence and digital misinformation.
The case has drawn attention to the growing challenge of AI-generated content and the potential risks posed by deepfake technology, particularly when used to impersonate public officials or spread false information capable of influencing public opinion.
As of the time of reporting, authorities had not released further details regarding the circumstances of Dennis’s arrest or the specific charges that may be filed against him. Investigations are expected to continue as law enforcement agencies seek to determine whether additional individuals were involved in creating or distributing the fake recording.
The incident highlights increasing concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence tools and the need for stronger safeguards against digital disinformation in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving online space.
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