Defence Headquarters has debunked a viral video circulating online that falsely portrays the Chief of Defence Staff, General OO Oluyede AFM, making a shocking claim about plans to forcefully recruit Nigerians aged 18 and above into the military.
Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Samaila Uba, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the video is a digitally manipulated fabrication designed to mislead the public and tarnish the image of the nation’s top defence chief. The footage, which features a cloned image of General Oluyede, attributes to him a statement he never made.
In a firm rebuttal, the Defence Headquarters described the circulating clip as “a fake video depicting a mischievously cloned image” of the CDS. The statement added that the forged message was “clearly intended to defame the character of the Chief of Defence Staff and… portray the military in bad light.”
The military maintained that it remains a respected institution that attracts thousands of willing applicants each year across its three service branches. It stressed that neither the CDS, nor any Service Chief, nor any member of the Armed Forces has ever issued such a directive about compulsory enlistment.
“For the avoidance of doubt, 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,” the Defence Headquarters clarified.
Citing the rise of artificial intelligence–driven manipulation, the statement urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid amplifying unverified content. It appealed to the public to verify every military-related message through official channels.
The Defence Headquarters emphasized that “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,” urging citizens to disregard the circulating fake video entirely.