The Nigeria Police Force has interrogated Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the alleged leak of voter information obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) database.
Investigators from the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) questioned Olayinka on Tuesday at the police headquarters in Abuja as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged cyber-related infractions and misuse of official data.
INEC Official Also Arrested
A serving INEC staff member has also been taken into custody in connection with the case, following allegations of unauthorised access and dissemination of sensitive voter records. Police sources said the investigation was triggered by a formal petition alleging criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, and unlawful sharing of protected electoral documents.
The controversy began after Olayinka shared screenshots on social media showing details linked to Nollywood actor Emeka Ike’s voter registration transfer, raising questions about how the information was accessed. The post triggered public backlash, with concerns raised over possible breaches of INEC’s secure voter registration system.
INEC Denies Major System Breach
INEC has dismissed claims of a large-scale hack, stating that its database remains secure and protected. The commission attributed the incident to what it described as “misuse of valid internal credentials by authorised personnel.”
Reports indicate that the Department of State Services (DSS) is also conducting a parallel investigation, while police are considering possible charges including cyber offences and criminal conspiracy as inquiries continue.
