Police Quiz Wike’s Aide, Detain INEC Official Over Voter Data Leak
Police authorities have interrogated Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the controversial leak of voter registration data belonging to Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike.
According to Cable Newspaper, Investigators attached to the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) reportedly questioned Olayinka on Tuesday at the Nigeria Police Headquarters in Abuja as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged cyber infractions, unauthorised database access, and the circulation of classified national documents.
An unnamed official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also been detained in connection with the incident.
According to sources familiar with the probe, the investigation followed a formal complaint reportedly filed on behalf of INEC, accusing those involved of criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, and unlawful disclosure of sensitive electoral information.
The controversy began after Olayinka shared screenshots on X showing details of Emeka Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory. He had used the information to question the actor’s eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in the FCT under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The post triggered widespread backlash, with many Nigerians alleging that the information could only have been accessed through INEC’s restricted backend system reserved for authorised personnel.
Responding to the uproar, INEC on Tuesday denied reports of an external hack of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database. The commission stated that the leak resulted from the misuse of valid internal login credentials by authorised officials.
Sources said the detained INEC officer allegedly contacted Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before forwarding the voter registration documents to him via WhatsApp.
During interrogation, Olayinka reportedly told investigators that he had no prior relationship with the electoral officer and was unaware that the documents were classified.
Security sources further disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has also launched a parallel investigation into the matter.
The Nigeria Police Force is reportedly considering charges against both Olayinka and the INEC official, including criminal conspiracy, cyber-related offences, unlawful disclosure of classified materials, and conduct capable of causing a breach of peace.
