Veteran Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has initiated legal proceedings against Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, over the alleged exposure of his personal data held by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking on News Central Television in a video shared on X, the actor and House of Representatives aspirant under the Nigeria Democratic Congress described the incident as an abuse of power that raised serious concerns about citizens' safety and data protection in Nigeria.
"I felt insecure. For the first time, I'm feeling like, 'Is anybody saving this country anymore?" Ike said. "It was shocking. It was so disturbing that I felt unsafe. That kind of feeling, that's what it was like to me, like it's an abuse of power."
He further described the act as political radicalism, stating, "This is the extreme to radicalism. Political radicalism is basically telling Nigerians that 'we are in charge'."
Ike confirmed that his legal team has already taken steps to address the matter. "Obviously, I will go to court, and my lawyer has already written to Lere and INEC. He has also written my party, the DSS, and the police so that it can be on record that stuff like this has happened in Nigeria," he added.
The case highlights growing concerns over data privacy and the security of personal information held by government agencies in Nigeria.
