ARCON Raises Alarm Over Fake Ads Featuring Pastor Adeboye, Seun Okinbaloye, Other, Threatens Legal Action Against Meta, Advertisers
The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has raised an alarm over the increasing circulation of fake and unethical advertisements on Meta Inc.’s social media platforms—Facebook and Instagram, targeting unsuspecting Nigerian consumers.
In a strongly worded press statement signed by its Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, ARCON identified three major fraudulent ads involving high-profile Nigerian personalities and institutions, calling the development a “grave violation of advertising ethics” and threatening legal and regulatory consequences.
The council revealed that the faces and voices of two prominent Nigerians—Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), and Seun Okinbaloye, host on Channels Television, were fraudulently used in Facebook ads promoting dubious health products.
According to ARCON, the ad featuring Pastor Adeboye falsely endorsed a so-called cure for prostatitis and prostate cancer allegedly linked to one Dr. Zayo Mokoena, while Seun Okinbaloye was falsely portrayed as promoting a product for erectile dysfunction on behalf of a certain Prof. Kingsley Ekwueme.
The council disclosed that a preliminary investigation revealed the involvement of artificial intelligence and computer-generated technology in fabricating these ads. “A preliminary investigation shows that both Pastor Adeboye and Mr. Okinbaloye’s advertisements are computer/AI generated. The images and voices were used with the intention to mislead the public while the Nigerian Custom Services’ advertisement is a scam with the intention to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians,” the statement added.
Also included in the list of deceptive content is a viral advertisement promoting an alleged auction of impounded vehicles and bags of rice by the Nigeria Customs Service. ARCON declared the ad to be an outright scam designed to defraud Nigerians by tricking them into making payments for nonexistent government auctions.
ARCON confirmed that these and other similar advertisements “have been monitored on Facebook and Instagram platforms owned by Meta Inc.”
The regulatory agency emphasized that it would not stand idly by as Nigerians are misled, defrauded, and manipulated by bad actors using digital advertising tools. “ARCON will take all necessary steps including legal actions to sanction platform owners, advertisers, and advertisement agencies that engage in the exposure of unethical advertisements,” Dr. Fadolapo said.
To bolster its enforcement capacity, the council announced that a dedicated team has been set up. “A special monitoring and enforcement task force has been mandated to track advertisements across all platforms, swiftly identify and flag non-compliant advertisements.”
The regulator also called on the general public to assist in identifying such misleading content. “We urge the public to also support this initiative by reporting any advertisement which appears deceptive, unethical, illegal, and/or those with unrealistic claims/promises.”
Reiterating its commitment to sanitizing the Nigerian advertising space, ARCON stressed the importance of ethical marketing communication. “As we continue to work towards building a more ethical and consumer-protective advertising environment in Nigeria, we call on all stakeholders and the advertising community to recommit to the principles of truthful, legal, decent, and responsible advertising. The era of false and misleading advertising, advertisement and marketing communication is over.”