Opinion: “Is Bobrisky’s viral audio AI-generated?”

By

Frank Tietie

The Tribune reported that lawyers representing Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, have sent a legal notice to Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), demanding a retraction, an apology, and one billion Naira in payment.

This is in response to the publication of a defamatory audio recording against Bobrisky, which his lawyers claim was created using artificial intelligence (AI) voice modulation technology.

If Bobrisky’s claim that the viral audio recording was AI-generated is valid, it would be a significant revelation.

The audio has added an intriguing dimension to the bribery allegations against officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who allegedly provided VIP treatment to Bobrisky and dropped charges in exchange for a substantial amount of cash.

In my news analysis on Arise News Night, I argued that the issues raised in the viral audio were not entirely new to the Nigerian public, as similar revelations had been widely published previously. However, VDM’s reference to Femi Falana, SAN, in unfair terms could be considered defamatory, especially without proper verification.

The delay in verifying the authenticity of the audio recording has sparked national discourse and led to the National Assembly inviting the leadership of the NCS and EFCC. The Minister of Interior has announced a committee to investigate the matter, and the EFCC Chairman has threatened action against any officials involved in the bribery allegations arising from the audio recording.

Also, scores of hours have been spent in the Nigerian media, especially on Arise News, which involved news analysts like me discussing the arising issues with claims and counterclaims in an impassioned manner. At the last count, the official video of my analysis on the Arise News YouTube channel had over 70,000 views within a few hours of its posting, with over 600 comments, 99% of which have criticised me for my opinions on the show.

Despite the extensive media coverage and passionate discussions, the crucial determination of whether the audio recording was authentic has not been made. This raises questions about the entire situation and whether we have been misled. Therefore, a criminal investigation must be initiated with a massive sense of urgency to determine the integrity of the audio recording before anything else. The maker(s) of the call or audio recording must be immediately unmasked.

I cannot imagine that after all of the razzmatazz, the most crucial determination of whether or not the audio recording was authentic in the first place had not been made. Hence, I wonder whether or not we are jokers.

Frank Tietie
Lawyer & Arise News (Legal) Analyst,
writes from Abuja