EFCC Addresses Cyberattack Threat and Social Media Account Issue

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has responded to a threat from alleged cybercriminals, known as Yahoo Boys, who have vowed to launch a cyberattack against the agency following the disappearance of its X (formerly Twitter) account.

On Wednesday, August 14, Nigerians noticed that the EFCC's X handle, which had 2.2 million followers, was no longer accessible. Attempts to locate the account returned the message, "This account doesn’t exist."

Dele Oyewale, the main spokesperson for the EFCC, confirmed that the @officialEFCC handle had been unavailable for three days. He attributed the issue to a network problem and stated that the agency’s ICT staff is working to resolve it. "Our ICT division is addressing it. They have been working on it for nearly three days. We're hopeful it will come up again," Mr. Oyewale said in an evening statement to The Gazette.

The EFCC's social media disappearance coincided with threats posted on Reddit and other forums over the weekend, where some users alleged they were extorted by EFCC officers. In response to these allegations and concerns about potential scams, the EFCC issued a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Dele Oyewale, speaking to NAN in Abuja, addressed the situation and reassured the public that the agency is taking necessary steps to resolve the issue and address the concerns raised.