Senator representing Edo North senatorial district, Adams Oshiomhole says a widely circulated video appearing to show him massaging a woman’s feet aboard a private jet is a “fabrication created using artificial intelligence (AI)’.
The controversial video, which surfaced on social media on Tuesday, depicts a man resembling the former Edo state governor engaging in a lighthearted conversation with a woman, massaging her feet as they rest on his lap.
The woman was initially misidentified as Lara Fortes, the wife of the senator representing Edo north district.
It was later reported that the woman in the video is Leshaan Dagama, a South African lifestyle influencer and adult content creator.
Reports also alleged that Dagama originally posted the video on her TikTok account but deleted it shortly thereafter.
In the video below, it pictured Senator Adams Oshiomole, a current Senator of the federal Republic of Nigeria, and former governor of Edo state giving leg massage to what appears to be his private companion or paramour onboard a luxury private jet.
The footage has sparked backlash against the senator, with many Nigerians on social media criticising his alleged conduct amid the country’s severe economic hardship.
Others used the opportunity to mock his recent controversial statement in which he claimed some citizens were now complaining that “food prices are becoming too cheap”.
In response, Oseni Momodu, Oshiomhole’s media aide, issued a statement, rejecting the video’s authenticity.
The aide described it as a “poorly crafted AI-generated video,” asserting it does not depict a real event.
The statement faulted the circulation of the video by some online platforms and accused them of sharing unverified content.
It described the circulation of the video as cyberbullying and said steps had been taken to identify those responsible for producing and publishing it.
The statement urged the public to verify content before sharing allegations against public officials.
Dagama also addressed the controversy on her Instagram story, redirecting the public’s anger toward the senator.
“Your senator is the problem. Go be mad at him not me,” she wrote.