By Onwe Wisdom | Pan Afric Reporters Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has debunked a viral video falsely claiming that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General OO Oluyede, announced plans for the forceful recruitment of young Nigerians into the Armed Forces.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Samaila Uba, described the video as “a mischievously cloned image and a fake statement maliciously attributed to the CDS.”
According to him, the circulating footage is “clearly intended to defame the character of the Chief of Defence Staff and capable of portraying the military in bad light.”
He stressed that the Nigerian military has never contemplated forcing anyone into its ranks, noting that thousands of young people willingly apply during recruitment exercises. “The military remains a noble profession with thousands of patriotic Nigerians ever ready to willingly join its ranks,” the statement added.
General Uba further clarified that neither the CDS nor any Service Chief has issued such a statement. “Let it be on record that the purported statement was never made by the Chief of Defence Staff, any of the Service Chiefs, and indeed by any member of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” he affirmed.
Warning against the dangers of artificial intelligence–generated disinformation, he urged Nigerians to avoid spreading unverified content. “In this age of Artificial Intelligence, disinformation and malinformation, it is important that care is taken by all to avoid the creation and sharing of fake statements and videos without clearly verifying their source and authenticity,” the Defence Headquarters stated.
The DHQ also reminded the public to rely exclusively on its official communication channels for authentic information.
“All statements and releases from the Chief of Defence Staff are to be sourced from verified Defence Headquarters designated spokespersons and its official social media handles,” the statement noted.
Brigadier General Uba urged Nigerians to disregard the fake video and help curb the spread of misinformation.
