The Department of State Security, DSS, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is plotting to hack into the database of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The spokeswoman of the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, made the allegation on Wednesday while speaking on the agency’s findings on the incidents before and after the November 24 invasion of the APC Data Office in Lagos State.

According to Ogar, investigations revealed that the APC had a secret and intricate plan to inflate the party’s membership data and hack into INEC’s voter registration database by creating party membership forms and cards that match INEC’s voter register and database across the nation.

Ogar stated that the DSS received authentic information that the building which served as the APC Data Office was being used for nefarious and criminal activities such as cloning of INEC PVCs by some unscrupulous persons with intent to hack into INEC database, corrupt it and replace same with a doctored voters’ list.

“Upon receiving the said report, the service immediately took appropriate steps to investigate same by first seeking and obtaining a search warrant as required by law. This is contrary to claims by the APC that the building was accessed illegally. On arriving at the building at No 10, Bola Ajibola Street, Ikeja, Lagos, officers of this service found that the building did not have the signpost, banner or flag of any company or political party,” Ogar said.

The DSS spokesperson also stated that several items were recovered during the raid of the facility, including a temporary voter card and a permanent voter card.

According to her, one of the hard drives recovered from computers in the building contained hacking tutorials software which had instructions such as: 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; How to evade security of databases such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), firewalls, and other measures put in place to deter hackers; How to identify vulnerabilities in systems; 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 organization; How to hack into the systems of media houses with the aim of broadcasting fake stories or headlines.

The DSS spokesperson further alleged that the APC had flouted INEC’s electoral regulations and its own party constitution by registering under-aged persons, including several infants and babies as members of the party.

“We know that Article 9.1 of the APC party constitution expressly says membership of the party shall be open to any citizen of Nigeria who has attained the age of eighteen (18) years and accepts the aims and objectives of the Party,” she stated.

Ogar also disclosed that the APC “registered several security personnel from the Nigeria Army (NA), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) among others, in their uniforms as members of the party.”

“The APC had multiple registrations of individuals in multiples of 16, 12, and 10,” the DSS stated, adding that several foreigners were also registered by the party.

“Also, the APC filled forms without passport photographs and have books containing names of people with their phone numbers. Equally discovered were several envelopes containing passport photographs of various individuals.”

Ogar stated that even though investigation into the matter was still going on, suspects have been charged to court and that the DSS will ensure that the general public is kept updated.