By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has disclosed that there was an attempted cyber-attack on its website over the weekend.
The country’s anti-graft agency in a response to different enquires admitted on its twitter account that though there were attempts to compromise the website by some cyber criminals, the attacks were successfully repelled.
It added that the EFCC website is currently functional. Recall that, Anonymous, a group of foreign activists known for hacking the website of governments touted to be repressive, had claimed responsibility for attacking the EFCC website. The group claimed it was in solidarity with the nationwide #EndSARS protest.
According to reports, the commission’s website on Friday had shown it was offline due to an internal server error.
The group had announced at the weekend that it had not only shut down the EFCC’s website but also those of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
The EFCC via a statement on its twitter handle on Monday admitted that the commission experienced a cyber-attack on its website, but it was later repelled.
The statement reads in part: “Though there were attempts, over the weekend, to compromise the website by some cyber criminals, the attacks were successfully repelled. The EFCC website is up and running.
“The EFCC, therefore, urges members of the public to disregard the report, in addition to the one which also claims that the commission’s website had been hacked”.
The anti-graft agency also debunked claims that one of its staff reportedly resigned from the Commission in solidarity with the protesters, demanding for reforms in the Nigerian police.
It identified the person in question as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who had just completed his one year service at the EFCC Port Harcourt zonal office.
“The EFCC wishes to inform the public that Akpan is not a staff of the commission. He merely served as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in the Port Harcourt zonal office of the commission from November 2019 to October 16, 2020, when he completed his national service.
“He, therefore, could not have resigned from the EFCC to join the #EndSARS Movement.
“The stunt by Akpan is nothing but crass opportunism. And, seeking to achieve his selfish objectives riding on the crest of the popular protests by the youth, clamouring for institutional reform in Nigeria, is a disservice to the #EndSARS movement,” the statement added.
The #EndSARS protests which have continued for 12 days consistently have obstructed vehicular movement in some cities such as Lagos, and Abuja. It also disrupted economic activities in some other states of the country.
