DETECTIVES from the elite Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, have commenced a high-profile investigation into the unauthorised release of a voter record belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with an INEC official already detained and the Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Lere Olayinka, reportedly questioned extensively.
Highly placed security and police sources at the Force Headquarters told News Point Nigeria that intelligence operatives handling the investigation detained a staff member of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) INEC office, whose identity is being withheld due to ongoing investigations, while also grilling Olayinka over his alleged role in the circulation of the voter document.
Sources familiar with the investigation at the FID-IRT facility in Guzape disclosed that the ongoing crackdown followed a formal complaint lodged by INEC over the unauthorised release of sensitive voter information.
According to security sources, the controversy began on May 29, 2026, when a group of political actors, operating under the banner of a political party, staged a protest at the INEC AMAC office, allegedly blocking the facility’s exit gate with vehicles while accusing the commission of irregularities in an ongoing primary election.
Investigators were said to have established that following the confrontation, an INEC official at the AMAC office discovered through administrative channels that one of the leading figures in the protest, Nollywood actor Emeka Ike, had only recently applied to transfer his voter registration from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory, a process that had reportedly not yet been formally approved by the commission.
Sources said the official, angered by the protest and reacting to a video posted online by Olayinka, allegedly released confidential information relating to the voter registration application.
The official was said to have subsequently contacted Olayinka through Facebook Messenger. After exchanging telephone numbers, both parties allegedly moved their conversation to WhatsApp, where the voter registration document was transmitted.
Suspects Allegedly Confirm Sequence of Events
Investigative sources disclosed that statements reportedly obtained under caution from both individuals corroborated the sequence of events uncovered by detectives.
According to the sources, Olayinka admitted during questioning that he had earlier posted a video of the protest at the AMAC office on his social media platforms.
He reportedly told investigators that the INEC official, whom he had not known previously, reached out to him via Facebook Messenger to complain that the commission was being unfairly targeted by protesters who were allegedly not validly registered voters in the FCT.
The minister’s aide allegedly informed detectives that the official promised to provide evidence in the form of a temporary voter card, which was later transmitted through WhatsApp.
Security sources further disclosed that digital forensic investigators successfully recovered relevant communication logs, which they said established evidence of the unauthorised sharing of the voter document.
According to the sources, the detained INEC official has accepted responsibility for releasing the information and has been cooperating with investigators.
During interrogation, he reportedly maintained that he never intended for the document to be published online.
Olayinka, on his part, was said to have argued that the INEC staff member did not expressly inform him that the transmitted document was classified.
Following his interrogation, police sources confirmed that Olayinka was granted bail but could be invited again as investigations progress.
Investigators, however, maintained that allegations relating to the unauthorised release and sharing of sensitive voter documents may eventually be preferred against both individuals.
Meanwhile, INEC has officially confirmed that its internal audit process identified the user account through which the voter information was accessed.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the commission ruled out any form of external cyberattack or hacking of its systems.
According to the commission, preliminary findings showed that there was no external breach of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database and no unauthorised access to its ICT infrastructure.
“Preliminary findings from the Commission’s audit trail so far indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised external access to the Commission’s ICT infrastructure,” the statement said.
“Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise but released without authority.”
INEC stressed that the incident involved only a single voter record and did not compromise the broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal information of more than 90 million registered voters.
The electoral commission also assured Nigerians that voter data remains secure and that comprehensive reviews of all technical and administrative protocols are ongoing.
The commission further disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has commenced an independent investigation into the matter.
INEC said it would continue to cooperate fully with security agencies and vowed to ensure that any individual found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
As investigations continue, police sources disclosed that detectives at the FID-IRT have recommended stringent administrative and legal sanctions against the embattled INEC official and any accomplices identified during the probe.
Investigators are said to be finalising their findings ahead of possible formal arraignment of suspects before the court.