The Armed Forces of Nigeria have issued a strong warning to the public after a false video spread online claiming that the military planned to forcefully recruit Nigerians aged 18 and above. The Defence Headquarters said the video was fake and was created to deceive viewers and damage the image of the Chief of Defence Staff, General OO Oluyede.
In the statement posted on Saturday through the official X account of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the military explained that the video used a cloned image of General Oluyede and falsely suggested that he announced a plan to compel young Nigerians to join the military against their will. The Defence Headquarters described the video as malicious and mischievous, stressing that the intention was to mislead the public and portray the military in a negative way.
The military stated, The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to the circulation of a fake video depicting a mischievously cloned image of the Chief of Defence Staff General OO Oluyede AFM. In the fake video, a malicious statement was attributed to him about the intent of the military to forcefully recruit young Nigerians from the age of 18 years into the military against their will. It added that such a claim has never been made by the Chief of Defence Staff, any Service Chief, or anyone in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The statement noted that thousands of Nigerians willingly apply during recruitment exercises in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, which shows that the military does not need and has never planned any form of forced recruitment.
The Defence Headquarters said the rise of artificial intelligence has made it easier for people to create fake videos and warned the public to always verify information before sharing. It directed Nigerians to follow only official spokespersons and verified social media channels for accurate updates.
Brigadier General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, signed the statement and urged the public to disregard the fake video completely.
