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By Lawrence Agbo
The arrest of a man accused of creating and circulating fake audio recordings impersonating President Bola Tinubu has sparked renewed scrutiny of earlier allegations made by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga against social media activist Martins Vincent Otse (VeryDarkMan).
Onanuga announced on X that the Inspector-General of Police’s crack investigative team had arrested Ifechukwu Dennis in Benin City over his alleged role in producing the controversial audio clips, which were passed off as recordings of the president’s voice.
“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. Dennis was arrested in Benin,” Onanuga said.
The development comes months after Onanuga publicly accused VeryDarkMan of being responsible for disseminating the doctored audio. At the time, the presidential aide suggested that the activist should be investigated and prosecuted over the viral recording.
However, subsequent fact-checks and independent reports challenged that claim, indicating that the fake audio was not created or originally shared by VeryDarkMan. Investigations suggested that the manipulated recording may have been inserted into an existing video by another individual, creating the impression that the activist was behind the content.
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The latest arrest has now shifted attention to Dennis, whom police believe originated the fake voice recording before it was circulated online.
Critics have pointed to the arrest as raising questions about the earlier accusations directed at VeryDarkMan, arguing that the emergence of a new suspect appears to contradict initial claims about the source of the audio.
Onanuga, while confirming the arrest, said the police would release an official statement detailing the allegations against Dennis and the findings of their investigation.
“The police will issue an official statement,” he added.
The case has reignited debate over misinformation, digital manipulation and the risks posed by AI-generated content, particularly when public figures are wrongly implicated before investigations are concluded.
