DHQ Nigeria Recovers Official X Account from Hackers

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has regained control of its official X account, @DHQNigeria, after the platform was compromised in an unauthorised cyberattack.

The development comes a few days after the military authorities alerted the public that the account had been compromised and warned Nigerians to disregard suspicious or misleading posts published from the handle.

The account was reportedly taken over on Saturday, with unauthorised cryptocurrency-related content appearing on the platform.

The incident prompted concerns because the account is an official channel used by the Nigerian military to communicate information on security operations and other defence matters.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the incident was being treated as a cybersecurity matter and that technical measures had been activated to secure the account.

“The Defence Headquarters wishes to inform members of the public, the media and all stakeholders that it has detected an attempted unauthorised compromise of its official X (formerly Twitter) account,” Mr Uba said.

He urged members of the public to disregard any suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content that might have been posted from the account during the period of the breach.

The DHQ also directed Nigerians to rely on its verified accounts on other platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and its WhatsApp Channel, while efforts were made to restore control of the X account.

The military has now confirmed its return to the platform.

In a brief post on the recovered account, the DHQ wrote: “WE’RE BACK.”

“Thank you for your patience and continued support,” the military authority added.

The recovery effectively restores one of the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s major channels for communicating directly with the public.

The DHQ has not disclosed details of those behind the cyberattack or how the unauthorised access was obtained.

Authorities had earlier said the incident was under investigation as a cybersecurity matter.

The incident has also highlighted the growing cybersecurity risks facing official government and security institutions, particularly social media accounts with large audiences and the capacity to influence public perception during sensitive security operations.