Police arrest, question Wike’s aide Lere Olayinka, detain INEC official over voter data leak

Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has been questioned by the Nigeria Police Force over the alleged leak of voter information from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) database.

Sources familiar with the investigation told TheCable that operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) interrogated Olayinka on Tuesday at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.

The probe is reportedly focused on allegations of cyber-related offences, unauthorised access to electoral records, and the disclosure of classified national documents.

An INEC official whose identity has not been disclosed is also being held by investigators in connection with the matter.

According to sources, the investigation followed a formal complaint lodged on behalf of INEC, alleging criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, and the unauthorised release of sensitive electoral information.

How the Controversy Began

The controversy erupted after Olayinka shared screenshots on his X account showing details of Nollywood actor Emeka Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the FCT.

He posted the information while questioning Ike’s eligibility to contest for a House of Representatives seat in the FCT, following the actor’s criticism of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primary process.

The disclosure triggered public backlash, with critics accusing Olayinka of accessing a restricted backend platform reserved for authorised INEC personnel.

Responding to the incident, INEC said there was no evidence of external hacking or a major breach of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.

The commission maintained that the disclosure resulted from the misuse of legitimate internal access credentials by authorised personnel.

INEC Official Allegedly Supplied Information

Sources said the detained electoral officer allegedly contacted Olayinka through Facebook Messenger and later sent the voter registration records via WhatsApp.

The official reportedly provided the documents as evidence that Ike had only recently initiated a voter transfer request, which had not yet received approval.

During questioning, Olayinka is said to have told investigators that he had no prior relationship with the electoral officer and was unaware that the documents were classified.

Sources further disclosed that the FCT minister’s spokesperson maintained that the INEC official never informed him that the records were privileged or restricted.

In addition to the police investigation, the Department of State Services (DSS) is also examining the circumstances surrounding the release of the voter data.

Investigators are reportedly considering charges against both Olayinka and the electoral officer, including criminal conspiracy, cyber-related offences, unauthorised disclosure of classified documents, and conduct capable of breaching public peace.