Hackers have breached the personal email account of Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chair and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM). In a statement posted on her official X account, Dabiri-Erewa confirmed that the email address [email protected] had been compromised by unknown cyber actors. She urged the public to disregard any messages sent from that address or any other allegedly from her until full control is restored.
Dabiri-Erewa emphasized that she would not be able to respond to accumulated emails during the breach period. "Kindly ignore any emails purportedly sent from me using this or any other address until I regain full control of the account," she stated. The incident has disrupted both her official and personal correspondence.
She appealed for patience from associates and confirmed that efforts are ongoing to secure the compromised account and resume normal operations. No further details about the nature of the breach or the perpetrators were provided.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa's email breach exposes a vulnerability at the highest levels of Nigeria's diaspora engagement apparatus. That a public official overseeing a critical government agency can have her personal email compromised underscores how cyber hygiene remains an afterthought, even among those shaping national policy. The fact that the warning had to be issued via social media, rather than through official channels, suggests a reactive rather than proactive approach to digital security.
The incident highlights a deeper issue: the thin line between personal and official communication in Nigeria's public service. With no indication that NiDCOM's official systems were breached, the attack targeted a personal account—yet one clearly used for public business. This blurring of boundaries increases exposure to reputational and operational risk, especially when sensitive diaspora-related matters are involved. Dabiri-Erewa's reliance on a personal email for official correspondence reflects a common but dangerous practice across government circles.
Ordinary Nigerians in the diaspora who rely on NiDCOM for support may now face confusion or fall victim to phishing scams mimicking official communication. Fraudsters could exploit the breach to request personal data or payments under false pretenses, particularly targeting vulnerable migrants. The delay in email responses could also stall urgent requests for documentation or intervention.
This is not an isolated tech glitch but part of a growing pattern of digital insecurity in public office, where personal devices and accounts routinely carry out state functions without adequate safeguards.
