The X account (formerly Twitter) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), known as @officialEFCC, has disappeared from the social media platform, raising concerns amidst threats of cyber warfare from suspected internet fraudsters.
Parallel Facts checking the account which had amassed 2.2 million followers, became inaccessible with the message, “This account doesn’t exist,” displayed on the page.
Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s chief spokesman, confirmed the disappearance of the account, stating that it has been down for three days.
He attributed the issue to a network problem and assured that the agency’s ICT department is actively working to resolve the matter.
“Our ICT department is working on it. They have been on it for almost three days now,” Mr Oyewale told The Gazette on Wednesday night. “We are hoping It will come up again.”
The incident follows recent threats from a group of suspected internet fraudsters, who vowed to wage cyber warfare against the EFCC due to what they described as the agency’s unconstitutional actions in cracking down on online fraudulent activities.
The threats, made on platforms like Reddit, accused anti-graft detectives of extorting suspects and disregarding citizens’ rights.
In recent months, the EFCC has intensified its campaign against online fraud, conducting raids on hotels and university dormitories in an effort to curb the growing trend.
However, the agency has faced criticism from rights advocates who argue that its methods are abusive and could further undermine the fundamental rights of citizens.
The exact cause of the Twitter account’s disappearance remains unclear, with speculation ranging from a possible cyber attack linked to the threats, to a sanction from Twitter for policy violations, or even a deactivation by the account’s administrators.
As of Thursday morning, the EFCC’s main website and its other social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram appeared to be unaffected.
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