Police Investigate Voter Data Leak Involving INEC Official and Wike's Aide

• •INEC official arrested for unauthorized access to sensitive voter data.
• •Lere Olayinka questioned for sharing confidential voter registration information.
• •INEC denies hacking, cites misuse of internal access credentials as cause.

The Nigeria Police Force has detained an official from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and interrogated Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over an alleged leak of sensitive voter registration data. The investigation was prompted by a petition alleging unauthorized access to INEC's database and the unlawful disclosure of classified documents. The leaked information involved details of Nollywood actor Emeka Ike's voter registration transfer from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory, which Olayinka shared on social media. INEC confirmed that its database was not hacked, attributing the breach to the misuse of internal access credentials by an authorized official. The police are considering charges against both individuals, including criminal conspiracy and cyber-related offences. A parallel investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS) is also underway.