RismadarVoice Reporters, June 4, 2026
The Nigeria Police Force has intensified its investigation into the alleged unauthorised release of confidential voter registration information, detaining an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official and questioning Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Sources familiar with the investigation disclosed that detectives from the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) are probing allegations involving cyber-related offences, unlawful disclosure of sensitive information, and other actions linked to the public release of voter registration details belonging to Nollywood actor and politician Emeka Ike.
According to the sources, the detained official is an Electoral Officer attached to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), who is accused of accessing and sharing confidential voter registration records during a political dispute that emerged from a party primary election.
Investigators revealed that the matter originated on May 29, 2026, when protesters reportedly gathered at the INEC office in AMAC, alleging irregularities in an ongoing primary election process.
Following the protest, the Electoral Officer allegedly accessed the commission’s voter registration database and reviewed details relating to Emeka Ike, who had recently applied to transfer his voter registration from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The officer is said to have directed a subordinate staff member to capture a screenshot of Ike’s information from the INEC Voter Enrolment Device, contrary to established procedures for handling sensitive voter data.
Sources further claimed that the official later contacted Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before their conversation moved to WhatsApp, where the voter registration document was allegedly shared.
During questioning, Olayinka reportedly told investigators that he had posted videos of the protest on social media and was subsequently contacted by the Electoral Officer, who expressed frustration over what he described as unfair criticism of INEC by protesters.
According to investigators, Olayinka acknowledged receiving documentation intended to show that some individuals involved in the protest were not fully registered voters in the FCT.
The probe also uncovered claims that portions of the WhatsApp conversations were deleted after the leaked document attracted widespread public attention. However, investigators reportedly recovered the deleted messages through forensic analysis.
While the Electoral Officer remains in police custody as investigations continue, Olayinka was released on administrative bail after providing his statement.
Confirming the development, Olayinka said he honoured the police invitation as a law-abiding citizen but declined to comment further on the ongoing investigation.
The controversy erupted after Olayinka posted on social media that Emeka Ike had recently transferred his voter registration from Imo State to Abuja, raising questions about the actor’s eligibility to contest for a House of Representatives seat in the Federal Capital Territory.
The post included images that critics alleged were obtained from INEC’s restricted administrative platform, prompting concerns over data privacy and electoral confidentiality.
In response, Emeka Ike accused Olayinka of exposing his personal information and signalled his intention to pursue legal action over the alleged breach.
