Abdulkareem Haruna

A sophisticated voter fraud registration scheme targeted at exploiting citizens desperate to register has emerged in Borno state, threatening the integrity of the ongoing electoral process.

The fraudulent operation, which uses fake machines to illicitly collect voter data and thumbprints for a fee, was brought to light during a recent meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and key stakeholders in Maiduguri.

According to the state chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), scammers have been preying on unsuspecting individuals near popular GSM markets. “They offer to complete voter registration for a fee of ₦1,000, misleadingly promising to submit the captured information to the official INEC server,” the APGA chairman said.
This illicit practice exploits a critical gap in public awareness and the widespread frustration over slow registration, a challenge attributed in part to inadequate equipment.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Borno State, who  acknowledged the widespread challenges, revealed that Borno, a state of immense geographic size, now has only 60 voter registration scanners, a significant reduction from the 93 previously available.

Participants at the INEC stakeholders meeting in. Maiduguri.

Before the last national stocktaking was done, we used to have 93, but 30 was retrieved leaving us with only 63,” he said.
That leaves only two machines for each of the state’s 27 local government areas, a development the REC admitted may have  contributed to the slow pace of registration and forces residents to travel long distances for thumbprints.

In response to the fraud allegations, the REC stated that the criminal activity is a direct consequence of inadequate public awareness campaigns. He vowed to involve relevant security agencies to clamp down on the illicit practice and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Director of Publicity for INEC, Shuaib Ibrahim, reiterated the commission’s commitment to collaboration, assuring stakeholders that all issues raised would be addressed.

The meeting also saw calls for a multi-pronged approach to address the broader challenges. The Borno State Women leader for Clubs and Associations,  Ambassador Khaltum Jaffaru, called on INEC to provide materials to support community-based advocacy. Similarly, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abdulkareem Haruna, urged for a stronger partnership with media outlets to better engage youth and disseminate crucial information.

While the commission cannot force people to follow their social media accounts, the INEC Publicity director stated that they are open to joining other platforms when invited. He assured the stakeholders that the suggestions made during the meeting would be reviewed to ensure a better outcome, noting that the voter registration exercise is slated to continue until August 2026.