The Nigeria Police Force says it has raided facilities allegedly used to manipulate online conversations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

What the police said

Speaking on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at a webinar on AI, misinformation and the 2027 elections, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, said officers had carried out targeted raids on so-called phone farms after receiving information about a coordinated effort to interfere with the polls. He explained that a single operator can use hundreds of phones and automated accounts to push the same message, creating the impression that many people are independently discussing an issue. He said the raids had disrupted the operation.

Suspect arrested

Abdullahi said a suspect was in custody after officers traced allegedly false reports about a candidate from the South-South. He said the reports were allegedly meant to discredit the candidate and influence voters. The suspect has not been named or charged in court.

Free speech

He said the police would prosecute people found to have spread false information capable of undermining the elections, but stressed that enforcement would be guided by the law and that the force would not interfere with legitimate public debate. He also said the police had acquired tools that can detect deepfake videos, altered photos and cloned voices.

Background

At the same event, INEC said its own staff in about 10 states had uploaded AI-generated photos to the voters' register. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has identified officials in about 10 states who uploaded photographs generated by artificial intelligence to Nigeria's voters' register.

What INEC said

Speaking on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at a webinar on AI, misinformation and the 2027 elections, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna, who chairs the commission's Information and Voter Education Committee, said a large number of AI-generated pictures had been posted onto the register and had since been taken down. He said the commission had the names of the staff involved across about 10 states and would take disciplinary action against them.

Limits on what INEC can do

Haruna said it could be difficult for the commission to stop members of the public from digitally altering their own photographs before submitting them, but that INEC could act directly where its own staff were responsible.

Background

The issue of AI-generated images on the register had already drawn public attention, raising concerns about the accuracy of the voter roll ahead of the general elections. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

An event centre in Owerri, Imo State, has reportedly been marked by the state government days after hosting a town hall meeting of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

What happened

Photos shared online on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, show a message sprayed in red paint on the property, attributed to the Imo State government, asking the owners to show their title document and ground rent receipts within 48 hours. The venue, on Port Harcourt Road in New Owerri, hosted a town hall meeting with Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, and his allies on 31 October.

How people reacted

Some social media users questioned whether the venue was being punished for hosting an opposition event, while others said the owners should simply present the requested documents and urged critics not to politicise the matter. The state government had not publicly explained the reason for the notice at the time of writing.

Background

Imo is governed by Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a strong supporter of President Bola Tinubu's re-election. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

The media office of Adamawa State governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has rejected a report that the governor threatened to detain people who shout the slogan 'Bamayi'.

The claim

A report circulating on social media alleged that Fintiri had said anyone chanting 'Bamayi', a Hausa political slogan, would be detained until after the 2027 general elections. In a statement reported on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, the governor's aide on electronic media said Fintiri never made such a statement, publicly or privately, and described the report as fabricated and a deliberate misrepresentation of his position.

Demand for retraction

The statement named a Hausa-language online blog based in Jigawa State as the source and asked it to withdraw the report and apologise, or produce evidence to support it. It warned that legal action could follow if it did neither. The governor's team said the report was designed to stoke political tension and damage his reputation ahead of the elections.

Background

Fintiri has governed Adamawa since 2019 and is in his second term. Political tension has been rising across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections, with false reports and misinformation becoming a growing concern for parties and candidates on all sides.