Police Investigate Alleged INEC Data Leak, Detain Electoral Officer, Question FCT Minister’s Aide

The Nigeria Police Force has launched an investigation into the alleged unauthorized access and disclosure of sensitive voter information from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) database.

The probe has led to the arrest of an INEC electoral officer and the questioning of Mr. Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Senior police sources confirmed on Wednesday that operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) are looking into allegations of database misuse, cyber-related offences, and the illegal disclosure of confidential electoral records.

An INEC electoral officer, whose identity has not been disclosed, has been taken into custody as part of the investigation.

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Investigators also questioned Olayinka at the Police Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

The investigation reportedly followed a petition filed on behalf of INEC, accusing certain individuals of criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, and unlawful release of classified electoral documents.

The controversy arose after Olayinka posted screenshots on social media, allegedly showing voter registration transfer details of Nollywood actor and politician Emeka Ike from Imo State to the FCT.

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 process.

The posts generated widespread attention, with many Nigerians questioning how the information was obtained and suggesting it could only have come from INEC’s restricted voter registration database.

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Reacting to the incident on Tuesday, INEC denied that its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database had been hacked or breached.

The commission stated that the disclosure resulted from misuse of legitimate internal access credentials by an authorized official.

Investigation findings indicate that the detained electoral officer allegedly contacted Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before forwarding voter registration documents via WhatsApp.

The documents were reportedly meant to show that Emeka Ike’s voter transfer request had been initiated but was yet to receive final approval.

Sources familiar with the probe said Olayinka told investigators he had no prior relationship with the INEC official and was unaware that the documents were classified.

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He reportedly maintained that the electoral officer never informed him that the information was confidential or restricted.

Meanwhile, the Department of State Services has begun a parallel investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disclosure of the voter information.

Police authorities are said to be considering potential charges against both the INEC official and Olayinka, including criminal conspiracy, cyber-related offences, unlawful disclosure of classified information, and actions likely to breach public peace.

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