It is no longer possible to view the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) official account on X, the social media site that was formerly known as Twitter.
The account, which has over two million followers, includes the following on its home page: “The term you entered did not bring up any results,” according to checks conducted by TheCable on Thursday. Please give it another go later.
Requests for comments on the development have not yet received a response from EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale.
For many years, the commission’s X handle served as a one-stop resource for information on Nigeria’s fight against corruption. It frequently contains information on the commission chair’s remarks and progress updates, the pursuit of alleged online fraudsters throughout college campuses, mugshots of those who are accused, and the arrests or intimidation of people who are politically vulnerable.
But the EFCC’s app is currently empty.
ATTACKS BY HACKERS?
Accounts on the platform might not be available for a variety of reasons, such as a bad internet connection, an uncleared cache, questionable usage or attempted hacking, or the handle being reported for breaking X policy.
However, the website of the EFCC, as well as its Facebook and Instagram accounts, are still visible — an indication that this is more than the commission pulling the plug on its social media activities.
Hacking of government accounts on X is not uncommon in these parts.
In 2020, at the height of demonstrations against police brutality, entities such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), repelled attacks on their websites and social media accounts.
Hackers seized the X account of NBC and posted a series of messages in support of the protesters.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) issued a warning in August 2023 about hackers aiming to compromise the nation’s vital digital infrastructure.