Nigeria: Military headquarters’ X account hacked

The Defence Headquarters has confirmed that its official X account has been compromised and warned members of the public against relying on information posted on the platform.

The military authorities disclosed this in a statement issued by the Defence Headquarters spokesperson, Major General Samaila Uba, on Saturday evening.

The development comes after the account was observed to have been flooded with cryptocurrency-related posts that appeared unrelated to the activities of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The affected account has more than 980,000 followers and still retains its name, verification badge, military gallery and previous reposts.

Defence Headquarters activates cybersecurity measures

Uba said the incident was being treated as a cybersecurity matter, adding that technical measures had been activated to secure the account and prevent further unauthorised access.

He said efforts were ongoing to fully restore the military authorities’ control of the official X account.

The spokesperson did not disclose when the account was compromised or provide details about those responsible for the unauthorised access.

He, however, assured the public that the Defence Headquarters was working to resolve the situation.

Public warned against suspicious posts

The Defence Headquarters urged members of the public to disregard any suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content published through the compromised account.

The warning is significant because the account is one of the official channels used by the military to disseminate information on combat operations, changes in military hierarchy and other defence-related matters.

Uba said the Defence Headquarters remained committed to maintaining the highest standards of information security and ensuring that Nigerians receive accurate and credible information about the activities of the Armed Forces.

Military directs public to alternative channels

The spokesperson advised members of the public to rely on the Defence Headquarters’ other official communication channels, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, for verified information while efforts to recover the X account continue.

He also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid sharing or acting on information published from the compromised account.

The Defence Headquarters said it would provide further updates as efforts to regain full control of the account progress.

The incident has raised concerns over the security of official social media accounts belonging to sensitive government and military institutions, particularly those used to communicate information on national security and military operations.