In a statement, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education has confirmed that the phone number of the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, has been hacked.
Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, confirmed this on Friday.
Before the official statement, Mamman himself had issued a disclaimer about the hacked line on his X handle.
He wrote: “My phone line has been compromised. Please refrain from calling the number and ignore any messages requesting assistance until the issue is resolved.
“Thank you for your understanding”.
The statement by the Education Ministry’s spokesperson, said the hackers have already been using the line.
“The Office of the Honourable Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, wishes to inform the general public that the Minister’s WhatsApp number has been hacked and is currently being used by unauthorised individuals.
“We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause and urge everyone to disregard any message of request received from the said number until further notice.
“The matter has been reported to the relevant authorities and is under investigation. We advise all members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity,” the statement read.