Defence Headquarters Confirms Hacking of Social Media Account, Warns Nigerians Against Fake Posts

Newslens NG reports that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that its official X account has been compromised, warning members of the public to disregard suspicious or unauthorised content published from the platform.

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The military authorities disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, August 15, 2026, by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba.

According to the statement, the incident is being treated as a cybersecurity matter, with technical measures activated to secure the account and prevent further unauthorised access.

“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,” the statement said.

The DHQ added that efforts were ongoing to fully restore its control of the affected account.

It consequently urged Nigerians, media organisations and other stakeholders to disregard any suspicious, misleading or unauthorised information that may be posted through the account while the recovery process continues.

The development comes amid reports that the compromised account had been used to circulate cryptocurrency-related posts unrelated to the activities of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The account has close to one million followers and is one of the military’s major channels for communicating official information to the public.

The Defence Headquarters assured Nigerians that it remained committed to maintaining high standards of information security and ensuring that the public receives accurate, timely and credible information concerning the activities and operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

To avoid misinformation during the period, the DHQ advised members of the public to rely on its verified accounts on other platforms, including its Facebook page, Instagram account and WhatsApp Channel, for official updates.

The military authorities said further updates would be provided as efforts to regain full control of the X account continue.