...Alleges high-tech cyber attack
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has forcefully disowned a viral audio circulating online that claims she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of blackmailing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to orchestrate her imprisonment.
Describing the audio as “a malicious fabrication with a cloned voice,” the Kogi Central senator, in a statement issued Tuesday, June 4, 2025, said the recording was a calculated attempt to smear her image, sow discord within the Senate, and mislead the public.
“I categorically and unequivocally dissociate myself from the video and audio recording. The voice is not mine—it has been cloned with malicious intent,” she declared.
The senator said the fake recording—allegedly of a conversation with a journalist—was entirely concocted.
“At no time did I grant such an interview or engage in any conversation of that nature,” she said.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan revealed that this was not the first time digital tools had been weaponized against her. She detailed previous incidents where her voice was cloned to simulate conversations with political figures, including Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Senator Ben Obi, and a senior police officer.
But the latest cyberattack, she warned, is even more dangerous—alleging that hackers had used her personal phone line to place fraudulent calls to prominent Nigerians using an AI-generated version of her voice.
“Hon. Emmanuel Ekon, Dr. Tunji Alausa, Chief Allen Onyema, and former Women Affairs Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye all received spoofed calls from my number. These were not from me,” she said.
Calling the impersonation campaign “criminal, technologically sophisticated, and deeply concerning,” Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan warned of its far-reaching implications for personal privacy, democratic discourse, and national security.
“It is an orchestrated attempt to manipulate public perception, incite division, and silence my voice,” she stated.
“I urge Nigerians to stay vigilant and resist these evolving threats to our collective peace and democracy.”
The senator confirmed she has engaged legal counsel and security agencies to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators behind the cyber impersonation.
A respected lawyer and human rights advocate, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has become a prominent voice in the Senate for transparency and reform. Her experience, she says, now underscores the urgent threat of cyber warfare and deepfake technology in Nigeria’s fragile political landscape.
“I will not be cowed or distracted by coordinated campaigns of disinformation. I remain committed to truth, justice, and responsible democratic engagement,” she added.
