The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a suspect allegedly connected to the creation and distribution of a viral artificial intelligence-generated audio recording falsely attributed to President Bola Tinubu.
The development was confirmed by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who revealed that the suspect, identified as Ifechukwu Dennis, was apprehended in Benin City, Edo State, by a special police team investigating the controversial audio clip.
According to Onanuga, the suspect allegedly created and circulated the manipulated recording, presenting it as a genuine statement made by the President.
“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 on his verified X account.
He added that the Nigeria Police Force would release an official statement with further details regarding the arrest and the ongoing investigation.
The arrest follows weeks of controversy surrounding a viral audio recording that allegedly featured President Tinubu making comments on insecurity in the South-East, the 2027 presidential election, and opposition politicians.
The recording sparked widespread reactions across social media and fueled political discussions before the Presidency dismissed it as a fabricated deepfake generated using artificial intelligence technology.
Earlier reports linked social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to the circulation of the audio. However, subsequent findings reportedly indicated that the recording did not originate from his platforms.
Investigators are said to have discovered that the audio may have been produced by extracting content from an existing video and overlaying it with AI-generated voice technology designed to mimic the President’s voice before it was shared online.
The arrest of Dennis is being viewed as a significant breakthrough in efforts to identify those responsible for creating and distributing the alleged fake recording.
Security agencies are expected to continue their investigations to determine whether other individuals were involved in producing or spreading the audio, while authorities also consider possible charges against the suspect.
The incident has renewed concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence tools to create deceptive content and spread misinformation across digital platforms.
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