Senator Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Edo State and current representative of Edo North in the 10th National Assembly, has categorically denied the authenticity of a viral video purporting to show him giving a foot massage to a woman aboard a private jet.
The approximately 30-second clip, which surfaced online on Tuesday, quickly went viral and sparked intense public debate in Nigeria. Initial social media claims suggested the woman was Oshiomhole’s wife, Lara Fortes, a Cape Verdean lawyer and former model. However, further scrutiny identified the woman in the footage as Leshaan Dagama, a South African influencer and adult content creator.
The video triggered widespread criticism, with many Nigerians expressing outrage over the perceived display of extravagance amid the country’s economic challenges, high poverty levels, and hardship faced by ordinary citizens.
Prominent reactions included:
– A user (@iamogbems) on Instagram wrote: “Our politicians don’t see us finish. The way they flaunt their expensive lifestyle to our faces is shocking, especially with taxpayers’ money.”
– Another user (@nigerianguy) commented: “They are okay putting millions of children, mothers, and fathers in poverty, so they can do this. So they can just gift one girl a 500 million naira house, while many innocent souls are languishing in poverty. And they are setting up their children to continue with this lavish lifestyle while the future generations suffer.”
– Social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse (VeryDarkMan) stated: “These people no longer hide it. Before, they did it behind our backs; now they do it in our faces. How much is Adams Oshiomhole earning that he’s inside a private jet?”
In an official response issued by his media office, Senator Oshiomhole dismissed the video as completely fabricated. The statement described it as a “poorly crafted and edited fake AI video” created with malicious intent to blackmail him and tarnish his reputation.
The team pointed to clear technical inconsistencies and flaws—particularly noticeable around the 0:06-second mark—as evidence of artificial intelligence manipulation and digital editing.
Oshiomhole’s office urged the public, media organizations, and social media users to disregard the footage entirely, labeling it a deliberate act of misinformation that does not depict any real event involving the senator.
No further details have been provided regarding the alleged creators of the video or their motives.
The incident highlights the growing prevalence of AI-generated deepfakes in Nigeria’s online space, often used for political smear campaigns, character assassination, or to stir public controversy.
If the video is indeed AI-generated, who do you think created it and what was their motive? If it were real, would it reflect a lack of sensitivity to the economic struggles of ordinary Nigerians? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
