By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday disclosed that it has commenced an investigation into the alleged misuse of authorised access credentials and unauthorised disclosure of information from its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database.

A few days ago, Mr Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, posted the voter registration details of a popular actor turned politician, Mr Emeka Ike.

The URL on the slip showed that the information was harvested from the admin page of the electoral umpire, triggering calls for an investigation into the unauthorised access to citizens’ data.

Apparently worried by the controversies generated by this, INEC today, via a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mr Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said it’s looking into the matter.

It also disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has shown interest in the case by conducting “an independent investigation.”

INEC explained that as part of the ongoing CVR exercise nationwide, authorised INEC Registration Officers were granted controlled access to specific components of the CVR system to enable them to register new applicants, process requests for transfer of registration and update voter records where necessary.

“Such access is restricted to official duties only and is withdrawn at the conclusion of the exercise,” it noted.

“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed.  Accordingly, relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation,” it stated.

The electoral body stated that it “is also examining all technical, administrative and operational factors associated with the matter in order to establish individual responsibility and determine the circumstances surrounding the use of those credentials and identify any breach of internal access-control protocols before taking appropriate action against anyone involved.”

“Preliminary findings from the commission’s audit trail so far, however, indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised external access to the Commission’s ICT infrastructure.

“Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise but released without authority,” it added.

INEC disclosed that, “The incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of the commission’s broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters.”

It emphasised that security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data are taken with the utmost seriousness and remains committed to transparency, institutional integrity, and the protection of voters’ personal information.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Nigerian-born attorney, Mr Ope Banwo, who has run the Banwo Law Office in Omaha, Nebraska, where he has served clients for 29 years, has opened a new office in Arlington, Texas.

The Arlington office is located at 420 E. Lamar Boulevard. It is expected to serve clients seeking immigration-related legal assistance from across the country as the firm begins the next phase of its national expansion.

The firm, in a statement, said it plans to establish additional offices in major US markets within the next 24 months.

The Texas office was described by Mr Banwo as the beginning of a broader national growth strategy aimed at extending legal services to more communities across the United States.

“When I restarted my legal career in America in 1997, my mission was simple: help ordinary people navigate extraordinary legal challenges,” the respected legal practitioner stated.

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter. This new office is more than an expansion—it is an opportunity to serve more families, protect more dreams, and impact more lives,” he added.

For its first year of operation in Texas, Banwo Law will focus exclusively on US immigration law, offering services in family-based immigration, asylum applications, deportation defence, employment-based immigration, green card processing, citizenship and naturalisation, as well as humanitarian relief cases.

Mr Banwo said the firm’s commitment to helping immigrants navigate the complexities of the American immigration system remains unchanged.

“Our mission remains to help immigrants achieve the American dream without the nightmares,” he stated.

As part of activities marking the expansion, Mr Banwo also announced the launch of the Immigrant Survival Marathon, a 30-day programme of free immigration education, legal updates, and live question-and-answer sessions through his platform, The Immigrant Survival Show.

He expressed appreciation to clients, colleagues, referral partners, and supporters who have contributed to the growth of the firm over the years, noting that Nebraska provided the foundation upon which the practice was built and pledged to continue delivering quality legal services while expanding its reach across America.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has warned Nigerians against a social media post offering free NIN correction on a fraudulent portal.

The commission, which is charged with regulating Nigerians’ data information, described the message and its accompanying links as a phishing scam designed to deceive unsuspecting members of the public, according to a public advisory issued on Tuesday on its X handle.

The agency assured citizens that the National Identity Database remains secure and protected from unauthorised access.

“NIMC warns the public against a fraudulent social media post claiming a free ‘Correction Portal’ is open via malicious links. This is a phishing scam,” it said.

“We assure citizens that the National Identity Database is secure and fully protected,” it added, urging Nigerians not to interact with suspicious links circulating online.

The agency advised members of the public not to click any unauthorised links and to rely only on official channels for any data modification, update, or correction requests.

According to NIMC, individuals seeking to update or correct their National Identification Number records should use the official self-service portal or visit authorised enrollment centres nationwide.

It asked users to access its self-service platform through its official portal and to verify information and updates through its official communication channels, charging Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious messages claiming to offer identity-related services outside approved platforms.

The warning comes amid growing concerns over online scams targeting personal data and identity information, with fraudsters increasingly using fake websites and social media posts to lure victims.