The Sultan of Sokoto's media team has refuted a viral image showing Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia bowing before the Sultan, calling it fake and likely AI-generated. Bashir Adefaka, speaking on behalf of the media team, stated on Sunday that the image was "fake, likely AI-generated, and deliberately crafted to misinform the public." He described the circulation of the image as a "mischievous and dangerous attempt" to involve the Sultan in political controversies unrelated to him. The image, widely shared on Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms, was accompanied by claims suggesting the governor's stance on security issues in Benue State was influenced by allegiance to northern Muslim leadership. The media office dismissed these claims as baseless. Adefaka emphasized that the Sultan does not appear in the image and that Islamic teachings prohibit prostration to any person. The Sultan, who serves as President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Co-Chairman of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, has promoted interfaith dialogue for nearly two decades. The media team urged security agencies to investigate those spreading the image and called on religious leaders to promote responsible social media use.
The timing and nature of this fabricated image point directly to a deliberate strategy to manipulate public perception around Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Sultan of Sokoto, two figures now caught in a digital trap designed to exploit existing fault lines. That the image surfaced amid rising tensions in Benue State, where attacks have fueled political and ethnic debates, suggests it was not random but targeted disinformation. The claim that Alia was seen in a posture of worship—something Islam explicitly forbids—reveals how little regard the creators had for religious accuracy, focusing instead on emotional provocation.
This incident underscores how digital tools are now weaponized to project loyalty, subservience or bias onto political actors without evidence. The fact that the Sultan's office had to issue a formal denial shows how quickly false narratives can gain traction, especially when they align with pre-existing suspicions about regional and religious power dynamics. The reference to the Sultan's two-decade role in interfaith efforts highlights the absurdity of the claim, yet it still spread widely—proof of how fragile public trust has become.
Ordinary Nigerians, particularly in Benue and northern states, bear the real cost when such fabrications go viral. Communities already on edge due to insecurity are further destabilized by narratives that cast governance decisions as religiously motivated rather than political or administrative. Farmers, traders, and displaced families in conflict zones are least equipped to fact-check viral content but most vulnerable to its consequences.
This is not an isolated case but part of a growing pattern: the use of AI-generated imagery to insert Nigerian leaders into fictional scenarios that serve hidden agendas. As technology outpaces verification, the risk of digital fakery triggering real-world unrest increases—with no clear mechanism yet to hold creators accountable.
