Nigeria's Defence Headquarters said a viral video showing the Chief of Defence Staff endorsing a political party or candidate is fabricated [1].
The denial comes as the military seeks to maintain its neutrality and prevent the perception that top leadership is taking partisan positions during a period of political activity [3].
Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede was the subject of the clip, which circulated widely on social media. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said in a formal statement on its X account on Thursday that the footage did not originate from the military chief [1, 2].
According to the DHQ, the video was artificially generated [1]. The military leadership said the content was a product of fabrication intended to mislead the public about the professional standing of the armed forces [4].
"The Defence Headquarters wishes to ... (statement that the video is fabricated and did not originate from the CDS)," the DHQ said in a statement published by Punch Nigeria [1].
Officials in Abuja said that the military remains committed to its constitutional role. The move to debunk the video follows a trend of digital misinformation targeting high-ranking government officials in Nigeria [3].
The DHQ said the public should disregard the video and rely on official communication channels for verified information regarding the Chief of Defence Staff and military operations [4].
“The video was artificially generated.”
The use of artificially generated content to simulate endorsements from military leaders represents a growing challenge for institutional trust in Nigeria. By explicitly labeling the video as 'artificially generated,' the DHQ is acknowledging the role of deepfake technology or advanced editing in political misinformation, highlighting a need for increased digital literacy and verification among the electorate.
