The arrest of Ifechukwu Dennis, the man identified by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as the originator of an AI-generated voice note falsely circulated as a leaked recording of President Bola Tinubu purportedly linking insecurity in the South-East region to the 2027 polls, has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians questioning the priorities of security agencies amid rising insecurity across the country.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Presidency had on Thursday announced Dennis’ arrest, with Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stating that an Inspector-General of Police crack team tracked down the suspect behind the controversial audio.
“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,” Onanuga wrote on his official X account.
Many Nigerians expressed concern that security agencies appeared to have acted more swiftly in tracking the creator of a fake audio than in apprehending kidnappers and bandits responsible for recent attacks across the country.
Reacting to the announcement, a Facebook user, Akeodi Ali wrote, “What about the kidnappers on TikTok?”
Another commenter, Araba Yemi Banjo, criticised the celebration of the arrest in the face of the country’s worsening security challenges.
“Sir, in all that is happening in this country, is this what you can gloat about? One would have expected you to be showcasing arrested kidnappers who for over two weeks held innocent schoolchildren hostage in an evil forest.
“But alas you are here, sir, massaging the ego of your benefactor who has failed to perform his duty,” Banjo wrote.
Also reacting, Chidubem Ukamaka compared the speed of the arrest to the response against kidnappers who have openly posted videos online.
“He was tracked down and arrested before the bandits posting videos on TikTok… We are taking notes,” the commenter wrote.
In a similar vein, Abdulrahman Isah questioned why the suspect was located before those responsible for recent mass abductions of students in parts of the country.
“So he has been tracked before the Oyo bandits. Una weldone Mr spokesperson,” he wrote.
Emma Nwatu also faulted the development, arguing that the arrest did little to address the pressing issues confronting ordinary Nigerians.
“Is that the biggest problem facing Nigeria and Nigerians today? Will his arrest solve the problem of banditry and terrorism or pernicious hunger in the land or millions of Nigerians degenerating into extreme poverty, or poor infrastructure facilities in the land while you, political office holders live like Lords?
“God is watching all of you. You better release that poor boy you are torturing and embarrassing for committing no offence!” Nwatu wrote.
For Daramola Stephen, the announcement raised questions about the effectiveness of security operations against kidnappers.
“This is ridiculous, why can’t the crack team crack the people behind the Oriire kidnap?” he asked.
The reactions came amid heightened public concern over the abduction of dozens of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo and Borno states, incidents that have triggered protests and renewed calls for stronger action against kidnappers and terrorist groups.
The controversy began on May 27, when a manipulated video containing an AI-generated voice resembling that of President Tinubu went viral online. In the clip, the voice made a series of inflammatory remarks, including claims about insecurity in the South-East and the 2023 presidential election.
Subsequent investigations by several media organisations found that the audio was fabricated and had been superimposed on an unrelated video originally posted by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
The Presidency later dismissed the recording as fake, while the police launched an investigation that culminated in the arrest of Dennis.