The Defence Headquarters has dismissed a video circulating online that falsely depicts the Chief of Defence Staff and, in some cases, the Chief of Army Staff.
In a statement on Tuesday by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the military described the clip as fake, misleading, and digitally altered.
It explained that the footage wrongly represents the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, while other versions wrongly associate the person in the video with the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede.
“The Defence Headquarters has observed the circulation of a fabricated video on social media platforms falsely portraying the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General OO Oluyede and in some instances attempting to misrepresent the person featured as the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General OO Oluyede.”
The DHQ stressed that the video has no link to any official military communication or activity and was deliberately created to misinform the public.
“The Defence Headquarters categorically states that the video is false, misleading and does not represent any official communication, position, statement or engagement involving either the Chief of Defence Staff or the Chief of Army Staff. The content is a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and create confusion regarding the activities and leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
The public was advised to disregard the content completely, as it did not originate from any verified military source.
“Members of the public are advised to disregard the video in its entirety, as it did not originate from any official military source.”
The military also said preliminary findings showed signs of AI-generated manipulation in the video.
“Assessment of the video indicate that the content bears clear signs of digital manipulation premised on Artificial Intelligence and should not be relied upon in any way.”
It warned that the rising use of digital tools to fabricate content involving senior officers poses risks to national security and public trust.
The DHQ urged social media users, bloggers, and content creators to avoid spreading unverified military-related materials and encouraged the public to rely only on official channels for accurate information.
The statement reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to its constitutional responsibilities and ongoing efforts to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty and security.
