AI-driven fake news, deepfakes threaten national security, group warns

GMI National Coordinator, Samaila Musa. Photo: Samaila Musa.

The Grassroots Mobilisation Initiative has warned that Nigeria could face fresh security challenges if urgent steps are not taken to curb the growing spread of artificial intelligence-driven fake news, deepfakes and other forms of digital disinformation. The group said the increasing use of sophisticated technologies to forge official documents, clone the voices of public officials and create convincing fake videos poses a serious threat to national security, social cohesion and public trust in institutions. In a statement issued on Friday, GMI National Coordinator Samaila Musa, expressed concern that disinformation campaigns are becoming more coordinated and technologically advanced, making it increasingly difficult for citizens to distinguish between genuine information and fabricated content. According to him, Nigeria is already grappling with insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and communal conflicts, and cannot afford the additional burden of misinformation capable of inciting panic, violence and distrust. “What we are seeing today is no longer just the casual sharing of unverified rumours on WhatsApp. Mischief-makers and desperate actors are now using advanced technology, including Artificial Intelligence, to forge official documents, clone the voices of top government officials, and create deepfake videos of religious and regional leaders”, Musa said. He warned that manipulated videos and audio recordings, often circulated in local languages, were being deliberately designed to mislead citizens, inflame tensions and provoke spontaneous violence in communities. The organisation noted that one of the most dangerous consequences of fake news is its impact on ongoing security operations across the country. Musa said the circulation of false military casualty figures, doctored footage of military operations and fabricated reports alleging complicity by security agencies could weaken public confidence and undermine the morale of personnel fighting insurgents, bandits and other criminal groups. “The constant spread of fake military casualty figures, doctored videos of tactical retreats and false narratives of complicity among our troops only serves to demoralise the brave men and women on the frontline. It gives undue confidence to bandits, insurgents and criminals,” he said. The group further warned that disinformation was increasingly being weaponised to exploit Nigeria’s ethnic and religious diversity. Related News Oyo, Borno abductions: Tough terrain, casualty fears stall rescue mission State