2027 Elections: Nigeria Police Join Forces With Meta, TikTok to Track deep fake Creators and Combat AI Disinformation.
The Nigeria Police Force has strengthened its collaboration with major technology companies, including Meta and TikTok, to identify individuals responsible for creating and distributing deep fake videos and other forms of artificial intelligence (AI) generated misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to protect Nigeria’s electoral process from digitally manipulated content capable of misleading voters, damaging reputations, threatening national security and undermining public confidence in democratic institutions.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, disclosed the development on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, during a webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation. The event was themed AI Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote.
According to Abdullahi, the police have established working relationships with major technology platforms to support investigations into suspicious online activities. The partnerships are expected to help investigators obtain relevant user information, trace the origins of misleading digital content and preserve electronic evidence for possible prosecution.
He explained that the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, established following the 2023 general elections, has strengthened the force’s capacity to monitor, identify and investigate suspicious online activities, particularly content suspected of being generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.
The police representative also revealed that the force had previously handled cases involving manipulated videos and deep fakes, including a video allegedly portraying President Bola Tinubu making statements he never made. According to him, the individual responsible for the video was traced, arrested and questioned, reportedly claiming that the content was produced as an experiment.
The development comes amid growing concerns about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence during Nigeria’s 2027 electoral campaigns. Deep fake technology can produce convincing videos, photographs and audio recordings that make political candidates, government officials and public figures appear to say or do things that never happened.
Such content could be exploited to spread false election announcements, influence voter behaviour, provoke political tensions and weaken trust in credible information, particularly when manipulated materials circulate rapidly across social media platforms.
Beyond the police initiative, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also been developing measures to address AI driven electoral threats. The commission has announced the establishment of an AI unit to monitor digital threats and strengthen safeguards against the manipulation of election related information.
Technology companies, including Meta, Google and Microsoft, have also indicated their willingness to support efforts to tackle misleading digital content ahead of the elections.
However, the growing involvement of security agencies and technology companies in monitoring online activities also raises important questions about data privacy, freedom of expression and the potential misuse of surveillance powers.
While efforts to combat deliberate disinformation are essential to protecting electoral integrity, enforcement must be guided by established laws, due process and respect for Nigerians’ constitutional rights. Legitimate political criticism, independent journalism and freedom of opinion must not be confused with criminal misinformation.
As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, the effectiveness of these partnerships will depend not only on the ability to identify and investigate deepfake creators but also on transparent enforcement, public awareness and the responsible use of emerging technologies.
Ultimately, protecting the credibility of the 2027 elections will require a collective commitment from security agencies, electoral authorities, technology companies, journalists, political parties and citizens to ensure that digital innovation strengthens democracy rather than undermines it.