The Nigeria Police Force has launched an investigation into the alleged unauthorized access and dissemination of sensitive voter information from the database of the Independent National Electoral Commission, leading to the arrest of an electoral officer and the interrogation of a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Sources within the police confirmed on Wednesday that operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) are probing allegations of database abuse, cyber-related offenses, and the unlawful disclosure of classified electoral records.
As part of the ongoing investigation, an INEC official, whose identity has not been made public, has been taken into custody. Meanwhile, Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, was reportedly questioned by investigators on Tuesday at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
The investigation was triggered by a petition said to have been submitted on behalf of INEC, alleging criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, and the unauthorized release of confidential electoral documents.
The controversy emerged after Olayinka shared screenshots on social media allegedly containing details of a voter registration transfer involving actor-turned-politician Emeka Ike from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The disclosure came amid debates over Ike’s eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in the FCT following his criticism of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primary election process. The screenshots quickly generated public reactions, with many Nigerians questioning how the information was obtained and suggesting that it could only have originated from INEC’s restricted voter registration database.
Reacting to the incident, INEC on Tuesday dismissed reports that its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database had been hacked. The commission maintained that the information was exposed through the misuse of valid internal access credentials by an authorized official rather than through a cybersecurity breach.
Preliminary findings indicate that the detained electoral officer allegedly contacted Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before forwarding voter registration documents via WhatsApp. The documents were reportedly intended to demonstrate that Emeka Ike’s voter transfer application had been initiated but was yet to receive final approval.
During questioning, Olayinka reportedly told investigators that he had no prior relationship with the INEC officer and was unaware that the documents provided to him were classified. He also maintained that the official never informed him that the information was confidential or restricted.
In a related development, the Department of State Services has commenced a separate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disclosure of the voter information.
Authorities are reportedly weighing possible charges against both the INEC official and Olayinka, including criminal conspiracy, cyber-related offenses, unlawful disclosure of classified information, and conduct deemed capable of causing a breach of public peace.
