WhatsApp number of Nigerian governor hacked by fraudsters
Akwa Ibom, located in southern Nigeria, ranks as the country's third-wealthiest state, with an annual gross domestic product of $19 billion (£15 billion).
Suspected fraudsters have compromised the WhatsApp account of Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom, a prominent oil-producing state in Nigeria, and used it to solicit money from his contacts.
Akwa Ibom, located in southern Nigeria, ranks as the country's third-wealthiest state, with an annual gross domestic product of $19 billion (£15 billion). Governor Eno, who also serves as a pastor and the founder of the All Nations Christian Ministry International, assumed office last year.
On Tuesday, many of the governor's contacts received messages from his WhatsApp number, requesting that they transfer money to a specific account, with the promise of reimbursement. In response, the governor's chief press secretary, Ekerete Udoh, issued a statement confirming that the governor's WhatsApp account had been "cloned" by criminals seeking to defraud unsuspecting individuals.
Udoh emphasized that law enforcement agencies had been alerted and warned the public to disregard any messages from the cloned account that requested funds, as they did not originate from the governor.
This incident follows a similar situation less than a month ago, in which the phone number of another governor, Ademola Adeleke of Osun State (who is also the uncle of Afrobeats star Davido), was compromised in a comparable manner.
Cybersecurity expert Bilal Abdullahi advised that governors implement additional security measures on their devices and WhatsApp accounts to prevent such breaches. He suggested using features like linking WhatsApp to an email for authorization and enabling App Lock, which requires a pin or passcode to access the application.
Despite significant efforts in recent years, including numerous arrests by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), cyber-fraud—often referred to as "Yahoo-Yahoo"—remains a persistent issue in Nigeria. Uche Ifeanyi Henry, the director of Nigeria's National Cyber Crime Centre (NCCC), recently highlighted that the government had invested millions in a cutting-edge cybercrime center to demonstrate its commitment to combating cybercrime.
