RismadarVoice Reporters
June 4, 2026
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a suspect identified as Ifechukwu Dennis in connection with an AI-generated voice note falsely attributed to President Bola Tinubu, which had circulated widely on social media.
Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the arrest on Thursday via a post on his official X account, stating that the suspect allegedly created and distributed the manipulated audio.
According to Onanuga, operatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) crack team apprehended Dennis for allegedly producing the fake voice recording and passing it off as the President’s statement to unsuspecting individuals online.
“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 said.
The arrest brings an end to a controversy that began on May 27, 2026, when a video involving social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), went viral online.
In the circulated clip, an AI-generated voice resembling that of President Tinubu was heard making several controversial claims, including allegations regarding insecurity in the South-East, political pressure on opposition figures ahead of the 2023 elections, and comments interpreted as indifference toward citizens’ hardship.
However, subsequent investigations by media fact-checkers revealed that the original video posted by VDM did not contain the manipulated audio. Instead, the doctored voice was allegedly superimposed by unknown individuals before being widely shared online.
Despite these findings, initial reactions from the Presidency had called for action against VDM, describing the incident as a misuse of social media platforms. The clarification later shifted focus to the actual source of the fabricated audio.
Authorities have not yet released full details regarding the circumstances of Dennis’s arrest or the specific charges he may face as investigations continue.
