The Presidency has warned Nigerians over deepfake videos and manipulated online content.
It claimed such content is aimed at weaponising religion for political purposes ahead of the election season.
The alert was issued on Thursday by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy via its official X handle.
In a public service announcement, the Presidency said it had observed a pattern of coordinated digital misinformation targeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through fabricated videos and false audio overlays circulated across social media platforms and messaging apps.
According to the statement, the latest content includes a deepfake video falsely framed around a religious leader, allegedly designed to incite Muslims against the President.
“We are aware of yet another deliberate attempt to weaponise religion for politics across various online platforms,” the statement read.
It added that a similar incident occurred earlier, involving a manipulated video with fake audio and false attribution intended to portray the President negatively through the use of an influencer’s identity.
The Presidency warned that the trend reflected a deliberate strategy by “desperate actors” to distort facts, manufacture outrage and inflame religious tensions as political activities intensify.
“As the political season approaches, desperate actors will continue to manufacture outrage, distort faith, manipulate context, spread falsehoods, and push dangerous emotional bait across social media platforms and WhatsApp groups in an attempt to divide Nigerians for political gain,” it stated.
