Police say they have raided phone farms and arrested a suspect accused of spreading false information ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.

The Nigeria Police Force says it has raided facilities allegedly used to manipulate online conversations ahead of the 2027 general elections and arrested a suspect accused of circulating false information about a political candidate.

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Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi disclosed this on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, during a webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation.

He represented Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu at the event, themed AI, Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote.

Abdullahi described the facilities, known as phone farms, as operations involving large numbers of mobile phones and automated accounts used to create the false impression that many people were discussing or promoting a particular issue.

He said the police uncovered the facilities while investigating alleged coordinated attempts to interfere with 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.

According to the police official, the facilities allow a single operator to control hundreds of phones and accounts, spreading coordinated messages across digital platforms to influence public perception.

“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,” Abdullahi said.

He also disclosed that a suspect was in police custody over allegations of spreading misleading information about a political candidate from the South-South region.

Abdullahi said the suspect allegedly circulated claims about activities that had not taken place, or were still being planned, in an attempt to influence voter behaviour and damage the candidate’s reputation.

He did not identify the candidate or disclose the suspect’s name. The allegations have not been tested in court.

The ACP said the police traced the source of the information following an investigation and warned that anyone found deliberately spreading false information capable of undermining the electoral process could face arrest and prosecution.

He outlined the force’s approach as arresting suspects, investigating complaints and prosecuting those against whom sufficient evidence is established.

On the use of artificial intelligence in election-related manipulation, Abdullahi said the police had acquired cyber technology capable of detecting deepfake videos, manipulated photographs and cloned audio recordings.

He put the systems’ detection accuracy at up to 99 per cent, although he did not provide technical details or independent testing to support the figure.

He warned that such technologies could be used to make candidates, public officials and electoral authorities appear to have made statements they never actually made.

The police official added that the force was conducting digital forensic examinations of audio recordings, videos and photographs circulating online.

He also said an election monitoring room had been established and intelligence gathering had begun ahead of the 2027 polls.

However, Abdullahi stressed that the police would not use the crackdown as a reason to suppress legitimate public opinion.

He said enforcement would depend on whether the relevant legal requirements had been established.

“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 (INEC), particularly claims about changes to the election timetable.

The police announcement comes amid wider institutional concerns about the role of artificial intelligence and coordinated online campaigns in Nigeria’s next general election.

INEC has announced the establishment of an AI unit to monitor digital threats and detect deepfakes, while the National Information Technology Development Agency has warned about the possible use of AI-generated content to manipulate voters.

The challenge for election authorities and security agencies will be to distinguish deliberate, coordinated deception from legitimate political criticism and public debate.

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As the 2027 polls approach, the police say they intend to strengthen digital monitoring and pursue those found to be involved in unlawful attempts to manipulate the electoral process.