The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has raised the alarm over a fake AI-generated video circulating online, falsely featuring a cloned voice of its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bayo Bashir Ojulari.

According to the company, the deepfake video is being used to promote a fraudulent poverty alleviation scheme.

In a statement issued on Thursday, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, made it clear that the company has no involvement in such an initiative.

“NNPC has no such investment initiative,” Soneye said. “We urge the public to disregard the misleading video.”The company revealed that the video was posted by a Facebook account named Mensageiro de Cristo and has since gained traction on various social media platforms.

NNPC emphasized that it is a case of digital impersonation and disinformation.“We strongly warn the individuals behind this to desist from their fraudulent actions or face legal consequences,” Soneye added.

NNPC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and verify information from credible sources, especially as the use of artificial intelligence in scams continues to grow.