Hacker threatens TheCable over report on Betta Edu’s suspension

A hacker who identifies as Charlse Francis has threatened TheCable for reporting the suspension of Betta Edu as minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation. 

THE REPORT 

President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu on January 8 over alleged financial impropriety in the ministry.

Before her suspension, Edu was under fire after a memo surfaced wherein she asked Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the federation, to transfer the sum of N585 million to a private account.

The instruction for the payment of the funds was contained in a leaked letter dated December 20, 2023.

Edu had said the payment instruction followed due process, even though the accountant-general of the federation said she did not carry out the minister’s request because no bulk money “is supposed to be made to an individual’s account in the name of Project Accountant”.

Edu had also approved the payment of flight fare for staff to Kogi, even though the north-central state has no airport to its name.

After her suspension, Tinubu ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to “conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transaction” involving the humanitarian ministry.

The president also directed a panel headed by Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, to “among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes”.

THE THREAT

In an email, Francis threatened TheCable over the report on Edu’s suspension.

The hacker, who claims to be a security analyst with NewTechnic, a subsidiary of HackerOne, asked TheCable to delete the story or face a $50 million lawsuit.

“That the offensive article be removed from your platform and any associated publications,” the email reads.

“An immediate and unqualified retraction and public apology to Dr. Betta Edu for the false and defamatory content published. This retraction and apology must be given the same prominence as the initial article.

“Should you fail to comply with these demands within 48 hours from the receipt of this letter, we will have no option but to initiate legal actions to seek redress for the injurious falsehoods published and to claim punitive and exemplary damages in the sum of $50 million for the harm caused.”