By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos
A suspect allegedly linked to the creation and circulation of a fake audio recording purportedly featuring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been arrested by a special police team, according to the Presidency.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the development on Thursday via his official X account, identifying the suspect as Ifechukwu Dennis.
According to Onanuga, Dennis was arrested in Benin City by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) crack team for allegedly generating and circulating a manipulated voice recording falsely presented as that of President Tinubu.
“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. Dennis was arrested in Benin,” Onanuga wrote.
He added that the Nigeria Police Force would issue an official statement providing further details on the arrest and ongoing investigation.
The fake audio had sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many users questioning its authenticity before it was subsequently dismissed by the Presidency as fabricated.
The controversy also attracted public attention following comments by social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, on the viral recording.
The Presidency had earlier warned Nigerians against sharing unverified content, describing the audio as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and undermine confidence in official communication channels.
Police authorities are expected to disclose possible charges against the suspect and provide details of the investigation, including whether other individuals were involved in the alleged scheme.
The Nigeria Police Force has consistently cautioned against the dissemination of false information, warning that offenders risk prosecution under relevant provisions of the Cybercrimes Act.
