News
DSS Accuses APC of Plot to Hack into INEC Database
Department of State Services (DSS) has said that its findings from the search of the Lagos office of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in November last year, alleging, among others, that the party planned to hack into the database of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manipulate records.
Marilyn Ogar, DSS deputy director (Public Relations), said at a media briefing yesterday in Abuja, that after preliminary investigations, the DSS “suspects there was an elaborate and well articulated plan to inflate the party’s membership data as well as hack into INEC voter registration database.”
APC however dismissed the findings as hogwash, a great disservice to Nigeria and an embarrassment to all intelligence-gathering organisations around the world.
But Ogar said the raid on the APC’s office was carried out after a tip off that some cloning activities were going on in a building located at No. 10, Bola Ajibola Street, Ikeja, Lagos, without a signpost, banner or flag to indicate that it was a party office.
She said a permit was obtained for the operation during which the DSS officials found some items, which suggested that there was a well-hatched plan to hack into the electoral body’s database and corrupt it “and replace it with their own data.”
The DSS said that from its findings, the APC plans to scythe the system in a way that would enable them to manipulate even media reports in a predetermined direction. Ogar explained that a well articulated manual to perform all these tasks were served on the hard drive recovered from the office.
She listed the items recovered from the APC’s office as “a temporary voter’s card, a permanent voter’s card and some hard drives (one of the hard drives recovered from the building contained a video of twenty-one (21) hacking tutorials.)’’
According to the DSS, the tutorial video focused on how to become a hacker and steps to take to avoid detection in the process of hacking web servers, steps and procedures of system hacking, passwords cracking, decrypting, escalating access privileges, and creating backdoors to servers.
Ogar said the video “also explicitly explained how to evade security of databases such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), firewalls and other measures put in place to deter hackers.
“The video outlined ways to identify vulnerabilities in systems and how to surreptitiously drop a USB flash drive in a target establishment, which when plugged into any computer, transmits malicious codes enough to gain access into and compromise the entire system of the target organisation. And how to hack into the systems of media houses, with the aim of broadcasting fake stories or headlines.”
While displaying pictures of underaged Nigerians allegedly registered as members of the APC, Ogar said registering underaged and infants as party members is contrary to the party’s constitution as contained in Article 9.1 which states that “membership of the party shall be open to any citizen of Nigeria who has attained the age of eighteen (18) years…”
The DSS alleged that: “Furthermore, the APC had multiple registrations of individuals in multiples of 16, 12, and 10.”
According to the DSS spokesperson, it was also discovered that some foreigners as well as security operatives were registered members of the party thereby putting a question mark on their understanding of the legitimate provision that all security personnel in the country must not be or be seen to be partisan.
“The APC registered several security personnel from the Nigerian Army (NA), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), among others, in their uniforms as members of the party. Several foreigners were also registered as its members,” the agency revealed.
The DSS expressed concern that the APC filled forms without passport photographs, and have books containing names of people with their phone numbers, as well as several envelopes containing passport photographs of various individuals.
While stating the position of the DSS that APC has plans to infiltrate the database of the electoral body “through the creation of party membership forms and cards to match INEC’s voters’ register across the country,” Ogar reiterated that the opinion expressed by some people “on the action of the service” cannot conceal the sacrosanct of truth.
It would be recalled that when the said residence was raided last year, some officials of APC were arrested and detained by the DSS. The party, through its spokesman, Lai Mohammed, came out with a statement demanding public apology from the service and immediate announcement of its findings.
He further accused the service of seeking to manufacture evidence to support its alleged faulty intelligence by delaying the announcement after a number of days.
Mohammed was quoted to have then said: “We are now asking them to immediately announce their findings to the world. After all, it took them only a few hours after their Gestapo-like invasion of our offices before they issued their baseless allegation of PVC cloning to justify their action.”
Ogar said those arrested have being released on bail, investigation is still continuing, as the DSS would take more evidences and the information acquired from some of the suspects to court for further litigation.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by Mohammed, APC also alleged that the timing of the release of the ‘findings’ was a plot orchestrated in collusion with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to distract the APC from its ongoing campaigns for next month’s elections.
It described as disingenuous, flimsy, premeditated, partisan and an irritant the conclusion that the APC had an ‘’articulated plan to inflate the party’s membership data as well as hack into INEC’s voters’ registration database through the creation of party membership forms and cards to match INEC’s voters’ register across the country.’’
The APC statement reads in part: ‘’First the DSS and the PDP said the APC was cloning Permanent Voters Cards at the raided office, without a shred of evidence. Now, after a ‘painstaking’ investigation, the DSS has found out that the APC was only planning to inflate its membership data and then hack into INEC’s database. And this is the outcome of its massive, months-long investigations?
‘’This would have been funny if it were not from a primary domestic intelligence agency saddled with a great responsibility. Can this wishy-washy report stand any serious scrutiny? Can any serious intelligence gathering agency anywhere else in the world take this report seriously? With these kind of findings, one can now understand why Boko Haram has continued to strike at times and places of its own choosing without any prior knowledge by our all-powerful DSS.
‘’We have always warned that our democracy is in clear and present danger, not just from desperate politicians, but also from institutions of state that have compromised in their roles and resorted to crass lawlessness. The DSS’ ‘findings’ today have given us another reason to repeat this.”
‘’While we are willing to meet the DSS in court, we can confidently say that the ‘confessions’ extracted from the arrested persons, after they were subjected to incredible acts of torture, cannot even stand in any court of law,’’ APC said.
The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have agreed to a new strategic partnership aimed at driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness.
Led by its National President and Chairman of the Organized Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN), Engr. Jani Ibrahim, a high-level NACCIMA delegation visited the TETFund headquarters in Abuja today.
The team was received by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, during what both parties described as a milestone engagement.
Discussions during the meeting focused on collaborative initiatives including entrepreneurship development, support for the green economy, commercialization of academic research, industry–academia synergy, and skills development to better equip graduates for the evolving demands of the labour market.
A key outcome of the meeting was the mutual agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and establish a NACCIMA–TETFund Joint Technical Committee that will oversee the implementation of agreed initiatives.
Both sides also expressed commitment to developing additional partnership frameworks that will bolster Nigeria’s competitiveness and economic resilience.
Also present at the engagement, Prof. Umar Bindir lauded the collaboration, highlighting the need for structured, long-term partnerships between academia and the private sector to generate practical solutions to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
Arc. Echono, in his remarks, praised NACCIMA’s leadership in promoting enterprise and innovation, and reaffirmed TETFund’s readiness to work closely with the Organized Private Sector to foster research, innovation, and economic transformation.
This collaboration positions NACCIMA as a key driver of national development, helping to bridge the gap between education, enterprise, and policymaking, while empowering young Nigerians and strengthening the foundation of the country’s knowledge economy.
PalmPay, a digital banking platform, in partnership with Nigeria’s telecom giant, Glo, is celebrating winners in the ongoing PalmPay & Glo Recharge. The exciting campaign, which kicked off on June 19, 2025, will run until August 23, 2025, rewarding loyal customers with fantastic prizes and exclusive bonuses.
Since the promo commenced, users have won prizes ranging from Oraimo Earbuds to Infinix Hot 40i.
The ongoing weekly campaign has recorded 20 winners, which include:
- Michael Emmanuel from Lagos emerged as the winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Perpetual Amos, winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Semiu Adekunle Abegunde, winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Josiah Oluwasegun Adewale, winner of an Oraimo Earbuds
Michael Emmanuel from Lagos recounted his experience as the lucky winner of the Infinix Hot 401 as he couldn’t hide his excitement. He noted, “I am so excited! I didn’t even expect it. I received a call while I was sleeping, informing me that I’d won, and I went live immediately to confirm it was real. I’ve been using PalmPay for about two years now, and winning this is such a great feeling. I’ll keep using PalmPay, and I encourage everyone to recharge their Glo line on the app; you could win too.”
The campaign, which is in its last week, has winners revealed every Friday during a live raffle draw streamed across PalmPay’s social media channels. The campaign gives customers the chance to get amazing prizes, including an iPhone 15 Pro, an Infinix Hot 40, and many other exciting rewards. Users also enjoy up to 6% cashback when purchasing Glo airtime or data via the PalmPay app.
New Glo data subscribers who have not signed up for a plan in the past 90 days will also receive a 100% bonus on their recharge during the promo period.
How to participate:
- Download the PalmPay app.
- Link your Glo number in the app.
- Purchase airtime or data via PalmPay; every transaction increases your chances of winning.
- Join the live draw
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has said that the telecommunications sector in Nigeria is once again on a strong growth trajectory.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, ALTON
Engr. Adebayo stated this over the weekend on the side-lines of the unveiling of Nigeria’s first Digital Museum, an initiative that preserves and showcases the nation’s history and cultural heritage.
He commended IHS Towers for spearheading the project, describing it as another clear demonstration of the industry’s commitment to the Nigerian project. He noted that by investing in the preservation of Nigeria’s past while building the infrastructure of the future, IHS has set a remarkable example of corporate citizenship.
Speaking on the state of the telecoms sector, Engr. Adebayo said: “After addressing sustainability concerns earlier in the year, we are now witnessing significant new investments in the sector: the highest we have seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of ALTON are optimising networks, building new sites to meet rising capacity demands, upgrading existing infrastructure, and migrating more sites from old radio links to high-speed fibre connections.”
He further noted that Tower Companies (TowerCos) are enhancing security across telecom sites to mitigate against vandalism and theft. “Removable batteries and generators are now fitted with trackers to trace stolen items, and we strongly advise the public to desist from buying equipment suspected to have been stolen from telecom sites,” he cautioned.
Engr. Adebayo also highlighted ongoing capacity development within the sector: “We are training and retraining our workforce to adapt to emerging technologies. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has set strict service level requirements, and we are committed to not only meeting but surpassing them. Though network optimisation may occasionally cause service disruptions, we appeal to the public for understanding as these efforts will ultimately deliver a much-improved user experience nationwide.”
On industry governance, the ALTON Chairman expressed delight at the inauguration of the new Board of the NCC, chaired by Mr. Idris Olorunimbe.
“We are very excited about the appointment of Mr. Idris. His reputation as a man of excellence precedes him. Working with the competent and visionary Executive Management Team led by the Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, and the other Executive Commissioners, we are confident the sector is set on the right path to sustainability and growth. The new Board will strengthen the remarkable progress already achieved.”
Engr. Adebayo further welcomed the rebranding of Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services (EMTS) from 9Mobile to T2, describing it as an important milestone for the industry.
“EMTS is a very important member of ALTON, and we are pleased to see their rebirth as T2. This rebranding enhances investor confidence and underscores the value of collaboration. It assures the public that there are good times ahead for our industry, and we are very excited about what the future holds,” he stated.
Turning to issues of Right of Way (RoW), Engr. Adebayo stressed that investments can only thrive in enabling environments:
“The digital train is moving very fast. States that create hostile conditions for telecom operations risk being left behind. We will not continue to solicit endlessly for cooperation. Where deployment is unwelcome, investments will move to more supportive neighbouring states, and citizens of unfriendly states will inevitably suffer limited connectivity. We urge all state actors to partner with us so that no one is left behind in this rapid transformation.”
On the issue of multiple taxation, Engr. Adebayo commended the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly the Presidential Tax and Fiscal Policy Reform Committee, for its ongoing reforms. Engr. Adebayo described the reforms as a pivotal step toward streamlining Nigeria’s tax system and eliminating the burden of multiple taxation. He highlighted the positive impact on small and medium-sized businesses, noting that the changes will promote entrepreneurship, attract investment, and foster a more business-friendly environment.
“We eagerly await the commencement of the implementation in January 2026. We are confident that the over 56 taxes and levies currently borne by our members across various jurisdictions will soon become a thing of the past.”
Engr. Adebayo concluded by appreciating all industry stakeholders and reaffirming ALTON’s commitment to the Nigeria project:
“The transformation we are witnessing in our sector has not been experienced in recent years. We thank the leadership of the NCC for their commitment, we congratulate and welcome the new Board under the leadership of Mr. Idris Olorunimbe, and we look forward to even greater milestones ahead.
The industry is on the march again, and together, with the support of the public in protecting our critical infrastructure, there is no stopping Nigeria’s telecommunications sector as a driver of national economic stability and growth.”
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