The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a man identified as Ifechukwu Dennis over his alleged involvement in the creation and circulation of a fake audio recording purported to be the voice of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The arrest was disclosed on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who stated that the suspect was apprehended by the Inspector-General of Police’s crack investigative team in Benin, Edo State.
According to Onanuga, Dennis allegedly originated the manipulated voice recording and distributed it to members of the public as an authentic audio message from President Tinubu. He added that the police are expected to issue an official statement detailing the circumstances surrounding the arrest and the ongoing investigation.
The development follows weeks of controversy over a viral audio clip that was widely circulated on social media and attributed to the President. The Presidency had earlier dismissed the recording as fake and warned against the spread of misinformation and digitally manipulated content.
Onanuga also indicated that another individual was arrested for allegedly sharing a false security-related post about Abuja that authorities said was designed to create panic among residents.
The latest arrests signal a growing crackdown on the creation and dissemination of fake content online, particularly materials generated through artificial intelligence and other digital manipulation tools.
As of press time, the Nigeria Police Force had yet to release its official statement on the case. However, authorities maintain that investigations are ongoing and that those found responsible for spreading false information will face the full weight of the law.
