The Nigeria Police Force has announced a strengthened deepfake crackdown ahead of the 2027 general elections, partnering social media companies, including Meta and TikTok, to identify individuals behind manipulated videos, cloned voices and coordinated disinformation campaigns capable of misleading voters.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, disclosed the initiative through Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi during a PUNCH Media Foundation webinar on artificial intelligence, misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 elections on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

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The police said the strategy would combine cyber intelligence gathering, digital forensic investigations, collaboration with technology companies and targeted enforcement operations to tackle the growing misuse of artificial intelligence in political communication.

Abdullahi explained that the partnership would enable investigators to obtain relevant information about suspicious online accounts, trace the origins of manipulated content, request its removal where appropriate and preserve electronic evidence for possible prosecution.

He said the police had already established communication channels with major technology companies to improve their ability to respond quickly when potentially harmful information emerged online.

“We have made an effort now to shake hands with tech companies, most of the social media platforms, TikTok, Meta is the mother company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and what have you,” Abdullahi said.

He added that the collaboration would help investigators establish the identities and locations of individuals responsible for circulating suspicious material, subject to applicable investigative and legal procedures.

The police representative said the initiative was part of efforts to prevent artificial intelligence-generated content from being used to manipulate political conversations, damage reputations or undermine confidence in the electoral process.

Beyond its engagement with technology companies, the police disclosed that it had already carried out targeted raids on facilities known as phone farms and arrested suspects allegedly involved in manipulating online conversations.

Phone farms are facilities where large numbers of mobile phones and automated accounts are operated simultaneously to create the impression that particular opinions, political messages or campaign narratives enjoy widespread public support.

Abdullahi explained that a single individual could operate hundreds of phones and automated accounts to influence online discussions and distort public perception.

He disclosed that the police had arrested a suspect accused of circulating false information about a political candidate from the South-South region to influence voter behaviour and damage the candidate’s reputation.

According to him, investigators traced the source of the information before making the arrest.

The police representative also revealed that the force had acquired cyber solutions capable of detecting deepfake videos, manipulated photographs and cloned audio recordings with up to 99 per cent accuracy, although the figure was based on the police’s own assessment.

He added that an election monitoring room had been established to support intelligence gathering and digital surveillance ahead of the polls.

The latest measures follow concerns about the role of social media manipulation and misleading information during Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.

The police said the experience exposed gaps in its response to technology-enabled crimes, prompting efforts to strengthen its cyber intelligence capabilities through the establishment of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre.

The centre is expected to support investigations involving digital fraud, online impersonation, cyberstalking, electronic evidence and other technology-related offences.

The growing sophistication of artificial intelligence has added another dimension to the challenge. Unlike conventional fabricated reports, deepfakes can reproduce a person’s face, voice and mannerisms to make fabricated statements appear authentic.

A manipulated recording of a presidential candidate, electoral official or political leader could therefore circulate widely before the affected individual or institution has an opportunity to issue a correction.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also raised concerns about the potential consequences of such technology.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, warned on November 3 that deepfakes, cloned voices and coordinated online campaigns could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions and create confusion at different stages of the electoral process.

He said protecting election credibility required more than securing polling stations and electoral materials.

“It would also involve protecting the information environment in which voters receive, interpret and share electoral information,” Amupitan said.

The commission has particularly expressed concern about fabricated announcements involving election postponements, voting procedures and results, which could discourage participation or provoke unnecessary tension.

In a related development, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna disclosed on Wednesday that the commission had removed AI-generated photographs uploaded to the national voters’ register and identified officials in about 10 states for disciplinary action.

Despite the planned enforcement measures, Abdullahi assured Nigerians that the police would not use the fight against misinformation as an excuse to suppress legitimate political opinions or constitutional freedoms.

He explained that investigators would be expected to establish sufficient evidence before taking enforcement action against individuals suspected of spreading harmful digital content.

“If you see the police knocking on your door, definitely we have already gotten our information. It’s proactive policing.

We are not going to do the reactive kind of policing; we must have gathered enough information regarding the conduct,” he said.

He further explained that where the intention or potential consequences of an online publication remained uncertain, investigators could preserve electronic evidence rather than automatically arresting the individual responsible.

The distinction is important as Nigeria’s Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act 2024 criminalises knowingly transmitting false digital messages for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order or posing a threat to life.

The amendment narrowed the wording of the previous provision following concerns about its potential use against legitimate criticism and freedom of expression.

The police also disclosed that it was working with INEC, the National Broadcasting Commission, the National Orientation Agency, media organisations and civil society groups to improve information verification and strengthen public awareness ahead of the elections.

Abdullahi specifically emphasised that INEC remained the appropriate authority for confirming official information about electoral procedures and decisions.

Using a hypothetical example, he warned against accepting an unverified announcement that an election had been postponed, particularly when such information emerged shortly before voting.

He said Nigerians should confirm significant electoral announcements directly through INEC rather than rely on viral social media publications.

The PUNCH Media Foundation webinar, themed “AI, Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote”, brought together stakeholders to examine how artificial intelligence could be used responsibly while limiting its potential exploitation during the electoral process.

As political activities gather momentum, the police’s proposed partnership with technology companies represents an attempt to strengthen Nigeria’s response to increasingly sophisticated digital manipulation.

However, the effectiveness of the deepfake crackdown will depend not only on the ability to identify and trace content creators but also on transparent investigations, reliable digital evidence and respect for citizens’ fundamental rights.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the challenge for security agencies, electoral authorities, technology companies and the media will be to protect voters from deliberate deception without turning legitimate political debate into a criminal offence.