Oshiomole lied, viral video not AI-generated

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Claim: Adams Oshiomole, the senator representing Edo North district, has attributed the controversial video showing him massaging a South-African woman’s feet to Artificial Intelligence (AI). Oshiomole lied.

Verdict: FALSE. Available verification tools indicate that the video has not been altered or generated using AI. Additionally, experts found no traces of AI-generated visuals in the video.

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Adams Oshiomole recently came under fire for saying food prices are becoming too cheap during an interview on Channels TV on Jan. 21, 2026.

Amidst the reactions over his statement, a video surfaced on TikTok showing the former national chairperson of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) caressing a woman’s feet in a private jet. The video was traced to the TikTok account of Leshaan Da Gama (archived here), a South African influencer and adult content creator. When DUBAWA found the claim, Da Gama had already deleted the video from her page.

In response, Oshiomole dismissed the video, claiming it was generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). In a press statement posted on the Facebook page of Oseni Momodu, the senator’s media aide, he said the video was intended to malign the 73-year-old lawmaker’s reputation. 

The statement garnered three reactions, 11 comments, and 18 reshares within 12 hours. When DUBAWA reviewed the 18 reshares, we found that Momodu personally reshared the statement on different Facebook pages with varying audiences.

Reactions gathered by DUBAWA revealed contradicting opinions between supporters and opponents.

Julius Iyalomhe said, “Very fake. I warned those people to beware of Anenekumaza. We move.”

Suleiman Ikhaghu said, “It’s a fake AI video…it’s a handiwork of opposition elements in Nigerian politics… No mind them.”

Wosilat Bello, expressing her differing views on the video’s authenticity, used a slang term that meant the lawmaker is defending a lie. She said, “Una go explain tyre,” which implied that the office will get tired of explanations.

Adegboyega Aboyeji described the press statement as “nonsensical.”

The contradictory statement and the video’s virality prompted DUBAWA to fact-check it.

AI and the liar’s dividend

The recent surge of hyper-realistic AI-generated videos is challenging the distinction between authentic and synthetic visuals in Nigeria. The technological leap caught many Nigerians unaware, given the country’s low digital literacy levels. 

For much of the population, the adage “seeing is believing” still carries weight, particularly in rural and semi-urban communities, despite several fact-checking organisations’ sensitisation efforts.

As a result, bad actors weaponise this vulnerability on social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.

In addition, corrupt individuals have become accustomed to dismissing genuine footage of misconduct as “AI-generated.” 

The challenge of accessing forensic tools capable of detecting deepfakes has made addressing the issue tedious for many newsrooms. This has left fact-checkers working twice as hard to prove that a lie is false and the truth is real.

When a population loses the ability to distinguish between truth and fiction, it ends up believing nothing, which is a dangerous state for democracy and national stability. This raises the need to clarify whether the senator’s claim that the video is AI-generated is valid or a liar’s dividend.

Analysis of Oshiomole’s video

When DUBAWA conducted a manual analysis of the viral video, we found no clues suggesting it was generated by artificial intelligence. Several physical markers confirm its authenticity, including consistent lighting across moving objects. 

Unlike AI-generated content, which often contains hallucinations or blurred textures in complex areas such as fingers and reflections, this footage maintains structural integrity in every frame.

DUBAWA conducted a forensic analysis of available video fragments using relevant tools.

The results from the Attestiv Deepfake Video showed that the viral video contained no trace of AI. Face replacement indicators were scarcely detected in the video, and there was minimal inauthentic visual generation.

We compared the result of Oshiomole’s video with a previous fact-check of a video allegedly showing Ahmad Gumi urging the Federal Government to negotiate with bandits. DUBAWA’s analysis of Gumi’s video showed a high level of face replacement and inauthentic visual generation, traits lacking in the analysis of Oshiomole’s video.

DUBAWA attempted to use other reliable detection tools, including Deepware’s scanner and Tencent’s AI detection assistant. When this report was filed, only Tencent could analyse the video, and it issued an inconclusive assessment of its authenticity.

We sent a message to Da Gama on Feb. 5, 2026, via her TikTok page to confirm the video’s authenticity, but we have not yet received a response. However, credible media platforms reported that she debunked Oshiomole’s claim on her Instagram Story. The tongue-in-cheek caption on the story was “Video wasn’t AI but okay, believe your senator.”

We also shared the video with in-house multimedia experts, who suggested it was likely recorded with a button camera or spyglasses.

Conclusion

There is insufficient evidence to prove that the video is generated with artificial intelligence, as claimed by the senator’s media team. Forensic and manual analysis indicate that the video is likely real and was captured using a button cam or spyglasses.