The Nigerian Police Force has apprehended Ifechukwu Dennis, the individual identified as the creator of an artificial intelligence-generated voice note that circulated widely online as a leaked recording of President Bola Tinubu. The arrest was announced on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, via his official X account.
Arrest Details
Onanuga stated, "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." The suspect was taken into custody in Benin City, Edo State. The police are expected to release an official statement regarding the case.
Background of the Controversy
The arrest brings to a close a week-long controversy that began on May 27, when a video featuring social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, went viral. In the clip, an AI-generated voice resembling President Tinubu was heard making inflammatory statements. These included claims that insecurity in the South-East was deliberate, that he had pressured Peter Obi to step down before the 2023 election, and that he was indifferent to the suffering of Nigerians.
Initially, the Presidency called for the prosecution of VeryDarkMan. Onanuga had described the incident as "a clear case of egregious abuse of the social media platform." However, investigations revealed that VeryDarkMan had not posted the doctored audio. Instead, an unidentified individual extracted footage from VeryDarkMan's original Instagram video and superimposed the AI-generated voice notes before recirculating the manipulated version online.
Reactions and Next Steps
Onanuga's earlier threat of legal action against VeryDarkMan drew criticism after fact-checkers confirmed that the original video contained none of the fabricated audio. Further details on the circumstances of Dennis's arrest and the charges he may face were not immediately available at the time of filing this report.
The Nigerian Police Force continues to investigate the case, emphasizing the seriousness of using AI technology to spread misinformation and undermine public trust.
