News

EFCC’s @officialEFCC Twitter Handle Disappears After Yahoo Boys Threats

Published

4 months ago

Aug 15, 2024.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Twitter account, known as @officialEFCC, has mysteriously disappeared from the popular social media platform X, leaving many Nigerians and online users puzzled.

This incident follows closely with threats from self-identified “Yahoo boys” who vowed to launch a cyberattack against the anti-graft agency.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s primary spokesperson, confirmed that the account had been inaccessible for three days, attributing the issue to network problems.

EFCC

He mentioned that the agency’s ICT department was actively working to resolve the issue. “Our ICT department has been on it for almost three days now,” Oyewale stated to The Gazette on Wednesday night. “We are hoping it will come up again.”

To verify the situation, EKO HOT BLOG searched for the EFCC’s account on Twitter, only to find that it had indeed vanished.

EDITOR’S PICKS

The disappearance of the EFCC’s Twitter account comes shortly after a group of alleged internet scammers threatened cyber warfare against the agency, accusing it of infringing on constitutional rights by clamping down on questionable online activities in Nigeria.

According to People’s Gazette, last weekend, threats were made on Reddit and other sites, with some commentators alleging they were extorted by anti-graft investigators.

The EFCC has recently ramped up its crackdown on suspected internet fraudsters, conducting raids on hotels and university dormitories to curb activities that, according to anti-corruption advocates, have tarnished Nigeria’s image.

However, the agency has faced criticism from human rights activists for what they describe as overly aggressive tactics that could infringe on basic human rights.

Following public outcry after a midnight raid at Obafemi Awolowo University, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede announced a temporary halt on such nighttime operations. Nevertheless, reports suggest that these midnight arrests have continued with little consequence.

As of Thursday morning, it remained unclear whether the account’s disappearance was due to a deliberate action by the EFCC’s social media managers or a sanction imposed by X for potential violations.

Both possibilities were listed by X as reasons for the error message encountered when trying to access the account.

In response to the situation, cybersecurity expert Chidiebere Ihediwa has advised the EFCC to consider reorienting arrested internet fraudsters (commonly known as Yahoo boys) into information technology specialists rather than allowing them to languish in detention. Ihediwa, also a software developer, made this recommendation during an award ceremony in his honor at the Police Officers Mess in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday. He emphasized that knowledge can be either positive or negative and suggested that the skills possessed by these educated young men could be redirected towards positive societal contributions.

Click here to watch our video of the week: