The Nigeria Police Force has intensified its investigation into the alleged unauthorised access and leakage of sensitive voter information from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) database, resulting in the arrest of an electoral officer and the interrogation of a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Senior police sources confirmed on Wednesday that operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) are probing allegations of database misuse, cyber-related offences, and the unlawful disclosure of classified electoral records belonging to INEC.
As part of the ongoing investigation, an INEC electoral officer, whose identity has not been made public, has been taken into custody. Meanwhile, Lere Olayinka, media aide to the FCT Minister, was questioned by investigators on Tuesday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The investigation reportedly followed a petition submitted on behalf of INEC, alleging criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, and the unauthorised release of sensitive electoral information.
The controversy erupted after Olayinka shared screenshots on social media purportedly showing details of a voter registration transfer involving Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike, from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The disclosure came amid growing debate 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 publication of the documents sparked widespread 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.
Responding to the incident on Tuesday, INEC dismissed reports that its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database had been hacked or compromised. The commission maintained that the disclosure stemmed from the misuse of legitimate internal access credentials by an authorised official.
Preliminary findings reportedly indicate that the detained electoral officer initiated contact with Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before forwarding voter registration documents to him via WhatsApp.
Sources familiar with the investigation said the documents were intended to show that Emeka Ike’s voter transfer request had recently been initiated and was yet to receive final approval.
During his interrogation, Olayinka reportedly told investigators that he had no prior relationship with the INEC official and was unaware that the documents provided to him were classified. He further maintained that the electoral officer never indicated that the information was confidential or restricted.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has launched a parallel investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disclosure.
Security agencies are now considering possible charges against both the INEC official and Olayinka, including criminal conspiracy, cyber-related offences, unlawful disclosure of classified information, and actions deemed capable of causing a breach of public peace.
The development has raised fresh concerns about data security within Nigeria’s electoral system as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
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