By Harriet Tornguvan
The Defence Headquarters has dismissed a viral video falsely portraying the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General OO Oluyede, as issuing a directive for the forceful recruitment of young Nigerians into the Armed Forces.
In a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Samaila Uba, the military described the video as malicious, noting that it features a digitally manipulated image of the CDS and a fabricated statement aimed at misleading the public.
According to the Defence Headquarters, the video was created with the clear intent to malign the reputation of General Oluyede and discredit the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The military reaffirmed that recruitment into its ranks remains voluntary, attracting thousands of patriotic Nigerians during each enlistment exercise across the Army, Navy and Air Force.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the purported statement was never made by the Chief of Defence Staff, any of the Service Chiefs, or any member of the Armed Forces,” the statement read.
The Defence Headquarters also warned against the growing misuse of Artificial Intelligence tools to produce and circulate false information, urging Nigerians to verify the authenticity of content before sharing.
It further advised that official statements from the CDS can only be obtained through authorised Defence Headquarters spokespersons and verified social media platforms.
The military urged the public to disregard the fake video and any accompanying claims.
