The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has refuted a widely circulated video allegedly showing Olufemi Oluyede, the chief of defence staff, stating that young Nigerians would be recruited into the army against their will.
In an X post on Saturday, the DHQ described the allegation as false.
According to the DHQ, the video — which uses a digitally cloned image of the CDS — was created to mislead the public and damage his reputation.
The military labelled the footage as “fake” and “malicious”, warning that the false statement linked to the CDS could cast the armed forces in a negative light.
The DHQ emphasised that neither the CDS, any of the service chiefs, nor any member of the armed forces has ever issued a directive or made comments suggesting compulsory recruitment of citizens from age 18.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let it be on record that the purported statement was never made by the Chief of Defence Staff, any of the Service Chiefs and indeed by any member of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” the statement reads.
It added that, in an era of Artificial Intelligence, disinformation and malinformation, the public must be cautious to avoid creating or sharing fake statements and videos without verifying their source and authenticity.
The DHQ further advised that all statements from the Chief of Defence Staff should be obtained only through verified spokespersons or its official social media platforms.
The military urged Nigerians to disregard the video and avoid spreading disinformation capable of causing unnecessary tension.