Rita Enemuru, Reporting
THE Nigeria Police Force has arrested the suspected mastermind behind a sophisticated fraud scheme that used a fake AI-generated voice purporting to be President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
Ifechukwu Dennis was apprehended in Benin City by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) crack investigative team following intelligence-led operations, in a case that has raised fresh concerns about the growing threat of deepfake technology and cyber-enabled impersonation.
According to information provided by the Presidency, the suspect allegedly created and circulated manipulated voice recordings, presenting them as authentic messages from President Tinubu in a bid to mislead and defraud gullible targets.
The exact scale of financial losses suffered by victims remains unclear at this stage.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the development, describing the arrest as a significant breakthrough in efforts to combat misinformation, impersonation, and cyber-enabled fraud.
He added that the operation demonstrated the authorities’ commitment to clamping down on individuals who exploit emerging technologies for criminal purposes.
A detailed statement on the arrest and the ongoing investigation is expected to be issued by the Nigeria Police Force in due course.
It is understood that Dennis is currently assisting detectives with their inquiries, and further arrests have not been ruled out as investigators examine the full network behind the scheme.
For Stonix News, just as VERYDARKMAN has been exonerated, this case underscores a troubling new frontier in West Africa’s battle against digital fraud – one where a convincing fake voice is now a weapon of mass deception.
