Detectives attached to the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) have questioned the Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lere Olayinka, while an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remains in custody over the alleged unauthorised disclosure of a voter registration record linked to actor Emeka Ike.
Sources familiar with the investigation said the case followed a petition alleging cyber-related offences and the unlawful release of confidential documents containing the actor’s personal information.
According to the sources, the detained official is an electoral officer serving in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and is being investigated over the alleged release of restricted voter registration records amid a political dispute that arose during a party primary election.
“We have had the Electoral Officer for the Abuja Municipal Area Council in our custody since yesterday.
“Also, Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, was invited and questioned over the Emeka Ike matter.
“A top security aide to the INEC chairman petitioned the police over allegations of criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation, the leaking of classified documents, and conduct likely to breach public peace, all of which are connected to the Emeka Ike case,” a source said.
Investigators said the matter originated on May 29, 2026, when protesters reportedly gathered at the INEC office in AMAC, alleging irregularities in an ongoing primary election.
A security source claimed that following the protest, the electoral officer accessed the INEC database and reviewed details linked to Emeka Ike before directing a subordinate to obtain a screenshot from the commission’s Voter Enrolment Device.
“The leak occurred on May 29, 2026, when a group of political actors spearheading a protest under a political party banner blocked the exit gate of the INEC AMAC office with vehicles, behaving aggressively and alleging irregularities in an ongoing primary election.
“Following the hostility, the AMAC Electoral Officer discovered through administrative channels that one of the primary actors leading the aggressive protest, identified as Emeka Ike, a popular Nollywood actor, had only recently initiated a voters’ registration transfer from Imo State, an application that had not even been officially approved by the commission,” the source said.
The source further alleged that communication was later established between the electoral officer and Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before continuing on WhatsApp.
“Angered by the blockade of his office, the Electoral Officer, instead of following official protocols, instructed a subordinate staff member under him to capture a screenshot of the applicant’s confidential data directly from the INEC Voter Enrolment Device.
“The Electoral Officer subsequently spoke with the FCT minister’s spokesman on Facebook Messenger. They moved on to chat on WhatsApp, where the classified voter registration document was sent to Wike’s aide,” the source added.
Another source said Olayinka, in his statement to investigators, acknowledged posting videos of the protest online and later receiving communication from the electoral officer.
“In his statement, Olayinka admitted that he had posted a video of the political protest at the AMAC office on his social media pages.
“He explained that the AMAC Electoral Officer, whom he did not previously know, contacted him via Facebook Messenger to vent his anger that INEC was being blackmailed by protesters who were not even validly registered voters in the FCT.
“Olayinka admitted that the INEC official promised to send proof of the temporary voter’s card, which was subsequently delivered via WhatsApp,” the source said.
Investigators also alleged that portions of the WhatsApp conversation were deleted after public reactions trailed the release of the document.
“Forensic analysis recovered the deleted communications,” the source added.