The Nigeria Police Force says it has acquired cybersecurity tools capable of detecting deepfake videos, cloned voices and other forms of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated manipulation with up to 99 per cent accuracy.
The development is aimed at strengthening the police response to the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, disclosed this on Wednesday during a webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation.
The webinar, themed “AI Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote,” examined concerns over the potential use of artificial intelligence to manipulate electoral information, impersonate political candidates and spread false reports capable of threatening election security.
Abdullahi explained that AI-generated videos, photographs and audio recordings could be used to falsely portray candidates, public officials and electoral authorities as making statements they never made.
He also warned that voice-cloning technology could enable individuals to impersonate political opponents and other public figures to circulate fake announcements, endorsements, threats and inflammatory messages.
However, he assured Nigerians that the police had acquired technological solutions to identify such manipulations, with the capacity to verify information with up to 99 per cent accuracy.
He said the police remained committed to providing adequate security while protecting citizens’ fundamental human rights, particularly their right to participate freely in the electoral process without intimidation or manipulation.
Highlighting the growing threat of AI-generated content, Abdullahi cited an incident involving allegedly manipulated photographs of a political rally in one of the southern states.
According to him, one image showed an empty stadium, while another depicted the venue as being filled beyond its actual capacity.
He explained that although the stadium could accommodate approximately 30,000 people, a circulated image suggested that about 50,000 spectators had attended the event.
He warned that such misleading content could distort public perception, trigger political disagreements and create security challenges if shared without proper verification.
On efforts to tackle the threat, he identified attribution and verification as key responsibilities of the Police Cybercrime Centre, explaining that investigators would establish the origin of suspicious information, verify its authenticity and investigate the circumstances surrounding its circulation.
He further disclosed that an individual had been taken into police custody over alleged false information concerning a political candidate from the South-South region.
Abdullahi said investigations would continue and anyone found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
He also stressed the need for collaboration among security agencies, the National Broadcasting Commission, media organisations, civil society groups and the National Orientation Agency to combat election-related misinformation.
He urged Nigerians to verify information through credible platforms before sharing it, warning that the spread of unverified reports could heighten political tension and threaten public safety.
The police reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening election security through technological innovation, intelligence gathering, investigation and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Source:Punch
