The Defence Headquarters DHQ on Thursday dismissed as fake an Artificial Intelligence-generated video purporting to show the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, making statements suggesting partisan political support.
This was contained in a statement made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja by the Director, Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba.
The statement described the video as a product of AI-generated manipulation designed to deceive and mislead the public.
The Military High Command said the video did not emanate from the CDS and urged members of the public to disregard the statements attributed to him in the footage.
According to Uba, “the fabricated video was apparently created to misrepresent the position of the Chief of Defence Staff and bring the Armed Forces of Nigeria into disrepute.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to state unequivocally that the video is fake and did not emanate from the Chief of Defence Staff. The statements attributed to the CDS in the video are false and should be completely disregarded,” he said.
The Defence Headquarters reaffirmed the professional and non-partisan posture of the military, stressing that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remained committed to the Constitution and the defence of the country.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Armed Forces of Nigeria remains a professional, apolitical and non-partisan institution, committed to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the defence of the nation,” the statement said.
The military authorities condemned the creation and circulation of the video, warning those responsible for producing it, as well as individuals knowingly amplifying the material, to desist immediately.
The Defence Headquarters also appealed to members of the public to rely on information released through its official communication channels rather than unverified materials circulating on social media.
The Defence Headquarters listed its official platforms as Defence Headquarters Nigeria on Facebook and WhatsApp, DHQNigeria on X, DefenceHQ on Instagram and DefenceTV-Nigeria on YouTube.