The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has arrested Ifechukwu Dennis, the individual accused of creating and circulating an AI-generated voice note falsely presented as a leaked recording of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The arrest was announced on Thursday by the Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, through his official X account.
According to Onanuga, the Inspector-General of Police’s special investigative team tracked and arrested Dennis in Benin City.
“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. The police will issue an official statement,” Onanuga stated.
The arrest marks a significant development in a controversy that began on May 27, 2026, when a manipulated video linked to social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), circulated widely across social media platforms.
In the viral clip, an AI-generated voice closely resembling that of President Tinubu made several controversial claims, including allegations that insecurity in Nigeria’s South-East region was intentional, that the President had pressured Peter Obi to withdraw from the 2023 presidential election, and that he was unconcerned about the hardship faced by Nigerians.
Subsequent investigations by several media organizations revealed that VeryDarkMan did not create or publish the doctored audio. Findings indicated that an unidentified individual extracted footage from VDM’s original Instagram video and superimposed the AI-generated voice before recirculating the manipulated content online.
The Presidency had initially called for the prosecution of VeryDarkMan over the viral clip. However, the latest arrest appears to shift attention toward the alleged source of the fabricated audio.
The Nigerian Police Force is expected to release an official statement providing further details on the investigation and prosecution of the suspect.
Infinite Pulse News will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.
