Police uncover ‘phone farms,’ arrest suspect over election misinformation

The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered and raided phone farms allegedly used to manipulate online conversations ahead of the 2027 general elections. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Bashir Abdullahi, revealed this during a webinar organized by PUNCH Media Foundation. Phone farms are facilities where hundreds of mobile phones and automated accounts are deployed to create the impression that large numbers of people are promoting or discussing particular issues online.

The police arrested a suspect accused of spreading false information about a political candidate from the Southern region to influence voter behavior and discredit the candidate. Abdullahi warned that the police would arrest and prosecute individuals found spreading false information capable of undermining the electoral process.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.