A viral video allegedly displaying Adams Oshiomhole, Nigerian senator and former Edo State governor, massaging the foot of a girl aboard a non-public jet has triggered widespread controversy.
This viral video reignited considerations about digital manipulation, synthetic intelligence (AI), and the rising problem of verifying on-line content material.
The quick clip, which surfaced earlier this week throughout social media platforms together with X, Instagram and TikTok, rapidly drew intense reactions from Nigerians.
Many criticised what they perceived as a show of luxurious and insensitivity at a time of financial hardship, whereas others urged warning, warning in regards to the rising sophistication of digitally altered media.
In response, Oshiomhole’s media workplace denied the authenticity of the footage, describing it as a “poorly crafted and edited pretend AI video” designed to blackmail the senator and tarnish his public picture.
His staff pointed to alleged technical inconsistencies within the 30-second clip, significantly across the six-second mark, which they stated urged synthetic manipulation.
In addition they known as for an investigation into the origin and distribution of the video, labelling it an act of ‘legal cyberbullying.’
Nonetheless, the controversy deepened after the lady seen within the video, recognized as Leshaan Dagama, a South African influencer and content material creator, publicly contradicted the senator’s claims.
In a short Instagram publish, she insisted that the video was actual and never generated utilizing AI, saying, “Video wasn’t AI however okay imagine your senator.”
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Her response additional intensified the net debate.
The conflicting accounts have positioned a highlight on the rising dangers posed by deepfakes and AI-driven video manipulation, significantly in politically delicate contexts.
Advances in generative AI are making it more and more tough for the general public to differentiate between genuine and fabricated content material, elevating considerations about misinformation, reputational harm, and political weaponisation.
There have been requires a forensic digital evaluation of the clip however this nonetheless reveals the pressing want for stronger digital literacy, moral requirements in content material sharing, and regulatory frameworks to deal with the misuse of rising applied sciences.
The authenticity of the video stays contested however its affect has reignited nationwide conversations about belief, know-how, and accountability in Nigeria’s digital age.
