Police Raid Phone Farms Over 2027 Election Manipulation

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

The police also arrested a suspect accused of spreading false information about a political candidate from the South-South region to influence voters and damage the candidate’s reputation.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Bashir Abdullahi, disclosed this on Wednesday during a webinar.

The webinar was titled AI, Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote.

Abdullahi, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, explained that phone farms were facilities where several mobile phones and automated accounts were used to create the impression that large numbers of people were discussing or supporting particular issues online.

He said the police discovered the facilities while investigating alleged attempts by some individuals to manipulate the electoral process.

“We have recently come across information regarding the coordinated effort being made by some individuals to see that they tamper with our elections. Having dissected the information, we were able to carry out targeted raids at phone farms,” he said.

Explaining how the facilities operate, Abdullahi said individuals used multiple phones and automated accounts to circulate information simultaneously and manipulate public opinion.

“They call it phone farms, where you have bots arranged to manipulate and spread information simultaneously, making you believe that a whole lot of people are talking about the same subject.

“Meanwhile, it is just an individual behind hundreds of phones, arranged in what they call a phone farm, so that they can manipulate the system. The police were able to disrupt this,” he added.

The police chief also disclosed that a suspect was in custody over the alleged circulation of false information about a political candidate from the South-South region.

He said the suspect allegedly published misleading reports about activities that had either not taken place or were still being planned, with the intention of influencing voter behaviour and discrediting the candidate.

Abdullahi said the police investigated the complaint, traced the source of the information and arrested the suspect.

He warned that the force would investigate and prosecute individuals found spreading false information capable of undermining the electoral process.

“What we are doing now is, first of all, to send the message that the police are ready to arrest any person found spreading false information.

“Two, we are going to carry out investigations. Three, we will ensure that such a person is prosecuted. This is a message for people not to even contemplate doing that kind of behaviour,” he said.

On the growing use of artificial intelligence in spreading election misinformation, Abdullahi said the police had acquired cyber technology capable of detecting deepfake videos, manipulated photographs and cloned audio recordings with up to 99 per cent accuracy.

He identified AI-generated videos, manipulated images and voice cloning as potential threats to the 2027 elections, warning that they could falsely portray candidates, public officials and electoral authorities as making statements they never made.

He added that the police were conducting digital forensic examinations of audio recordings, videos and photographs circulating on social media to identify manipulated content.

According to him, the force had also established an election monitoring room and begun intelligence gathering ahead of the polls.

However, Abdullahi stressed that the police would not interfere with legitimate public opinion, saying enforcement actions would be guided by existing laws.

“If the relevant legal elements are not established, we cannot go out and disrupt the peaceful conduct of public opinion. We cannot do that,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to verify election-related announcements through the Independent National Electoral Commission, particularly information concerning changes to the election timetable.