Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North in Nigeria’s National Assembly, has rejected a viral video circulating on social media that appeared to show him massaging a woman’s feet aboard a private jet, calling the footage an artificial intelligence-generated deepfake.
The short clip, widely shared on platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok, drew intense online reactions after it emerged on Tuesday. In the roughly 30-second clip, a man resembling the 73-year-old lawmaker sits beside a light-skinned woman inside an aircraft, seemingly engaging in casual conversation as he touches her leg or foot.
Initially, some social media users speculated the woman in the video was Oshiomhole’s wife, Lara Fortes. Later reports identified her as Leshaan Dagama, described in online posts as a South African lifestyle influencer and adult content creator, a link Dagama did not dispute. In response to angry comments from Nigerians, she posted on Instagram, telling critics to “go be mad at him, not me.”
Oshiomhole Team Dismisses Footage as Fake
In a statement issued by his media aide, Oseni Momodu, Oshiomhole’s office said the video was a “poorly crafted and edited fake AI video” designed to tarnish the senator’s reputation. The statement cited what it described as technical irregularities in the footage, including inconsistencies around the six-second mark as evidence of digital manipulation.
The senator’s team labelled the distribution of the clip as criminal cyberbullying, claiming it was aimed at blackmailing him and damaging public trust at a time when he has attracted criticism over unrelated comments on economic issues like food prices.
Oshiomhole urged Nigerians and media outlets to be cautious about sharing unverified content and to verify sources before passing judgment on public figures. He said his office would investigate who created and spread the video.
