Nigerian military’s X account hacked as attackers push crypto scam

Nigera Defence Headquarters

Nigerian military’s X account hacked as attackers push crypto scam

The official X account of Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ), @DHQNigeria, has been compromised, with hackers using the platform to promote a cryptocurrency scam to its nearly one million followers.

The account, which had about 982,900 followers, was taken over on Saturday, with unauthorised posts promoting Firelight FXRP rewards and directing users to a cryptocurrency claims portal.

The breach was confirmed by the Defence Headquarters in a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba.

Uba said the military was treating the incident as a cybersecurity matter and had activated measures to secure the account and prevent further unauthorised activity.

He urged Nigerians to disregard any “suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content” published through the account while efforts continued to restore full control.

The DHQ also advised members of the public, journalists and other stakeholders to rely on its verified accounts on other social media platforms for official information during the recovery process.

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The compromised account has been an important communication channel for the Nigerian Armed Forces, providing updates on military operations, security developments, official activities and other information from the Defence Headquarters.

Screenshots reviewed after the breach indicated that the last clearly identifiable military-related post on the account was published on August 7, before the cryptocurrency-related content began appearing.

The account, created in May 2013, had built a substantial following over the years and retained its established identity even after the compromise, making the unauthorised posts potentially more convincing to unsuspecting users.

The attackers reportedly used the account to promote Firelight FXRP rewards and encourage users to visit a cryptocurrency claims portal. The Defence Headquarters has not endorsed the scheme and warned the public against relying on the unauthorised posts.

The exact method used to compromise the DHQ X account remains unknown. The military has not disclosed whether the attackers gained access through stolen login credentials, social engineering, a compromised device or another method.

The Defence Headquarters has also not identified the individuals or group responsible for the breach and has not disclosed whether anyone suffered financial losses after interacting with the cryptocurrency content.

The incident highlights the growing security risks faced by verified social media accounts, particularly those belonging to government institutions and other organisations with large audiences.

Cybercriminals have increasingly targeted high-profile accounts because control of an established platform can give fraudulent messages an appearance of legitimacy and expose large numbers of followers to potentially harmful links.

In the case of the Nigerian military’s X account, the security implications extend beyond the cryptocurrency scam because the platform is also used to communicate official information concerning national security and the activities of the Armed Forces.

The DHQ has therefore cautioned the public against treating posts from the compromised account as official until the military confirms that it has regained full control.

Nigerians have also been advised not to click on suspicious links, connect cryptocurrency wallets, transfer funds or submit personal information in response to the unauthorised posts.

The Defence Headquarters said efforts to recover and secure the hacked X account were ongoing and that further information would be provided as the situation develops.

For now, the military’s warning remains clear: any cryptocurrency-related content appearing on @DHQNigeria should be treated as unauthorised until the Defence Headquarters announces that control of the account has been fully restored.