Police Arrest INEC Staff Over Leak Of Voter Records Shared by FCT Minister Aide
The Nigeria Police Force has opened an investigation into allegations of unauthorised access and leakage of classified voter information from the Independent National Electoral Commission database resulting in the arrest of an INEC electoral officer and the questioning of Lere Olayinka the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike.
Senior police sources confirmed on Wednesday that operatives of the Force Intelligence Department Intelligence Response Team are examining claims of database misuse cyber related offences and the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive national documents belonging to the commission. An INEC electoral officer whose identity remains undisclosed has been taken into custody while Olayinka was interrogated by investigators on Tuesday at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
The probe stems from a petition filed on behalf of INEC alleging criminal conspiracy cyber intimidation and the unlawful release of classified electoral records. The controversy began after Olayinka posted screenshots on social media showing details of a voter registration transfer involving Nollywood actor and politician Emeka Ike from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory. The post surfaced amid questions about Ike eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in the FCT following his criticism of the Nigeria Democratic Congress primary process.
Many Nigerians raised concerns about how such information surfaced arguing it could only have originated from INEC restricted voter registration database. Responding on Tuesday INEC denied any breach or hacking of its Continuous Voter Registration database and stated that the disclosure resulted from the misuse of legitimate internal access credentials by an authorised official. Investigations showed that the detained electoral officer allegedly initiated contact with Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before forwarding voter registration documents to him via WhatsApp. The documents were meant to demonstrate that Emeka Ike voter transfer request had recently been initiated and had not yet received final approval.
During interrogation Olayinka told investigators that he had no prior relationship with the INEC official and was unaware that the documents shared with him were classified. He maintained that the electoral officer did not indicate the information was confidential or restricted. The Department of State Services has also launched a parallel investigation into the circumstances of the disclosure.
Police authorities are considering possible charges against both the INEC official and Olayinka including criminal conspiracy cyber related offences unlawful disclosure of classified information and actions capable of causing a breach of public peace.
This development occurs as the Continuous Voter Registration exercise continues nationwide with the commission maintaining records for tens of millions of eligible voters ahead of the 2027 general election. Official assurances from INEC indicate that the incident involved a single voter record and did not compromise the wider database yet the matter has drawn attention to the safeguards around electoral data. The parallel probes by police and security agencies reflect the legal framework governing data protection and cyber security in Nigeria. Authorities have stressed the need for accountability while the commission has committed to disciplinary measures against any staff found culpable.