Nigerian military raises alarm over attempt to hack its X account

The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, has raised the alarm over an attempted unauthorised compromise of its official X account.

This is contained in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, on Saturday.

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

According to him, efforts were ongoing to fully restore control of the official account, urging members of the public, the media and other stakeholders to disregard any suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content that might be posted from the account during the period.

The military authorities assured the public that they remained committed to maintaining the highest standards of information security and ensuring that accurate, timely and credible information on the activities and operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“Members of the public are advised to disregard any suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content that may be posted from the account during this period,” the statement said.

The DHQ also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and rely on its verified communication channels on other platforms while efforts to secure the X account continue.

These include Defence Headquarters Nigeria on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp Channel.

The development comes as the Armed Forces increasingly rely on digital platforms to disseminate official information on military operations, security developments and other activities.

The DHQ said it would provide further updates as necessary and appreciated the public’s understanding and vigilance.