The Defence Headquarters has dismissed a fake video circulating online alleging that the Chief of Defence Staff, General OO Oluyede AFM, made comments about plans to forcefully recruit Nigerians aged 18 and above into the military.
In a statement on Saturday, Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Samaila Uba, said the viral material was a “mischievously cloned” fabrication aimed at defaming the CDS and casting the Armed Forces in a negative light.
He stressed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remains a voluntary institution with thousands of patriotic citizens applying willingly during recruitment exercises across the three services.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the purported statement was never made by the Chief of Defence Staff, any of the Service Chiefs, or any member of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” the statement read.
Uba warned against the rising misuse of Artificial Intelligence to spread disinformation, urging Nigerians to verify all statements attributed to military authorities through official DHQ spokespersons and verified social media platforms.
He called on the public to disregard the video and the claims contained in it.