The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has raised the alarm over the compromise of its official X account, warning members of the public to disregard suspicious or unauthorised information emanating from the platform until control is fully restored.
The military said the breach was being treated as a cybersecurity incident, with technical measures already activated to secure the account and prevent further unauthorised access.
Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement, saying efforts were underway to regain full control of the affected account.
“The Defence Headquarters assures the public that efforts are ongoing to fully restore control of the official account. Consequently, members of the public are advised to disregard any suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content that may be posted from the account during this period,” Uba said.
The DHQ did not disclose when the compromise was first detected, the identity of those suspected to be behind it or whether any unauthorised posts had already been disseminated through the account.
It, however, assured Nigerians that steps were being taken to prevent further unauthorised access.
The incident raises concerns about the security of official digital communication channels, particularly accounts through which sensitive government and military information is routinely disseminated to the public.
The DHQ stressed that it remained committed to safeguarding its information infrastructure and ensuring that Nigerians continued to receive credible information about the activities and operations of the Armed Forces.
“The DHQ remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of information security and ensuring that the public continues to receive accurate, timely and credible information on the activities and operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” the statement said.
Pending the restoration of the X account, Uba advised members of the public to rely on the military’s other active official communication platforms for verified information.
He said this would ensure continuous and uninterrupted communication while cybersecurity personnel worked to restore the affected account.
The Defence Headquarters also thanked members of the public for their understanding and vigilance and promised to provide further updates on the incident where necessary.
Linus Aleke in Abuja
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