2027: Police vow crackdown on AI-generated disinformation

The Nigeria Police Force has warned that it will not tolerate the spread of artificial intelligence-generated misinformation, deepfakes and manipulated media capable of threatening national security and undermining the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

A representative of the Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi, gave the warning during a webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation on Wednesday, themed, “AI Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote.”

The discussion focused on the growing threat of artificial intelligence and misinformation in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Abdullahi said the police had strengthened their capacity to identify and investigate misleading digital content through the establishment of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre following the 2023 general elections.

He explained that the centre operates a security operations mechanism to monitor and verify suspicious information, particularly content suspected to have been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.

According to him, “the police have also established working relationships with major technology companies, including Meta and TikTok, to facilitate investigations into suspicious online activities.”

He said: “The collaboration would enable investigators to obtain relevant user information, identify the locations from which misleading content originated and preserve digital evidence for possible prosecution.”

Abdullahi added that operational teams were available to investigate cases and apprehend individuals found responsible for spreading harmful misinformation and disinformation.

He disclosed that the police had already recorded cases involving manipulated videos and deepfake content, including a video allegedly depicting President Bola Tinubu making statements he never made.

According to him, the suspect responsible for the video was traced, arrested and questioned, during which he reportedly claimed that he produced the content as an experiment.

The police representative warned that individuals who deliberately create and circulate false information capable of disrupting the 2027 electoral process would be held accountable.

However, he emphasised that the police would not infringe on citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of expression, noting that investigations and arrests would be based on credible information and sufficient evidence.

He said the force was adopting a proactive approach to identifying potentially harmful content while ensuring that individuals were not arrested simply for expressing their political opinions.

The discussion also featured concerns from civil society organisations and media practitioners over the impact of artificial intelligence-generated content on public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Also speaking, the Director of Programmes at Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, said trust remained central to citizens’ participation in elections, warning that deliberate disinformation could undermine confidence in electoral institutions and discourage voter participation.

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She urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen its communication strategy by providing accurate and timely information to citizens before, during and after elections.

She also called for regular public briefings and clear communication schedules to enable Nigerians to identify credible information directly from the electoral commission.

Mbamalu further recommended scenario planning among INEC, civil society organisations and media practitioners to prepare for possible threats, including fake election announcements, manipulated statements and AI-generated videos.

She stressed that protecting the integrity of the information environment should be a shared responsibility involving electoral institutions, security agencies, the media, technology companies and civil society groups.

Meanwhile, media practitioners warned that the increasing use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms without clear editorial guidelines could further weaken public trust in journalism.

On his part, the Director of Projects at the Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation, Mayowa Tijani, said AI tools were already being used in newsrooms for transcription, image generation and other production activities, but many media organisations lacked clear policies governing their use.

He called on Nigerian newsrooms to develop public-facing AI policies explaining how the technology was used in producing news content and what safeguards were in place to prevent misinformation.

He noted that audiences were not necessarily opposed to the use of artificial intelligence in journalism but wanted transparency about how the technology was being deployed.

Tijani also cautioned against publishing AI-generated images alongside factual reports without clearly identifying them as illustrations, explaining that such images could easily be mistaken for authentic photographs when circulated outside their original context.

He maintained that artificial intelligence could assist journalists with writing, transcription and other newsroom tasks, but editorial decisions and the final approval of stories must remain the responsibility of human editors.

Tijani argued that human judgment was essential in determining what information should be published and ensuring that AI-assisted content met professional journalistic standards.

The founder of FactMatterNG, Hannah Ajekaiye, also contributed to the discussion on frontline verification of synthetic content and the need to protect information integrity.

She agreed that tackling AI-enabled misinformation ahead of the 2027 elections would require stronger institutional communication, digital literacy, transparent newsroom policies and effective collaboration among stakeholders.

She warned that without adequate preparation, manipulated videos, fabricated statements and other forms of synthetic content could be used to mislead voters, damage reputations and weaken public confidence in the electoral process.