3 months ago
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The Akwa Ibom State Government has confirmed that the WhatsApp account of Governor Umo Eno was compromised in a recent cyberattack.
Reports indicate that many of Governor Eno’s phone contacts received messages from his WhatsApp number on Tuesday, asking them to transfer a specified amount of money to an account with a promise of reimbursement later.
The governor’s chief press secretary, Ekerete Udoh, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday, disclosing that the governor’s WhatsApp number had been “cloned” by criminals attempting to defraud unsuspecting individuals.
“Our attention has been drawn to carefully orchestrated fraudulent posts on some social media platforms, where some criminal elements have cloned the WhatsApp number of His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, with an intent to defraud unsuspecting members of the public,” the statement read.
The state government urged the public to disregard any message appearing to solicit funds from these imposters, noting that it did not come from the governor.
The statement also disclosed that law enforcement agencies have been notified of the incident and are currently investigating the matter.
“The law enforcement agents have been duly alerted and are on the trail of the perpetrators of this ignoble act.”
This is not the first time a Nigerian governor has fallen victim to such a cyberattack. Just last month, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke experienced a similar breach.
The governor’s spokesman, Olawale Rasheed, urged the public to disregard any communications originating from the number, +234 803 365 7555.
Rasheed said, “Please disregard any solicitation from +234 803 365 7555. Appropriate action is ongoing to remedy the situation. Authorities are currently investigating the breach and are working diligently to secure the governor’s communication lines.
“The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the relevant authorities. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.”
Cybersecurity analyst, Bilal Abdullahi, told the BBC that governors should add additional security to their numbers and WhatsApp to avoid issues of this nature.
Abdullahi stated, “WhatsApp enables additional security layers whereby one can link the app to his email for authorization before use, and also there‘s what we call App Lock, whereby one can lock the application and can only use it if he inserts a pin or passcode.”
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