The website of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), www.nigerianstat.gov.ng, has remained offline for three weeks following a cyber attack that compromised its operations. As of Monday, attempts to access the site returned an error message, indicating the page is still inaccessible.
The breach was initially confirmed by the NBS on December 18, 2024, in an announcement made on social media platform X. In the statement, the bureau urged the public to disregard any information published on its website until further notice, signaling ongoing efforts to recover from the attack.
The hacking incident occurred shortly after the NBS released its Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey on December 17, which revealed alarming statistics about crime in Nigeria. The survey indicated that Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion in ransom over a year, from May 2023 to April 2024, and that 51.89 million crime incidents were reported across the country. The northwest region recorded the highest number of incidents, while the southeast had the least.
The day after the report’s publication, rumors surfaced that the Department of State Services (DSS) had summoned Adeniran Adeyemi, the Statistician-General of the Federation, for questioning regarding the survey. However, the NBS promptly denied these claims, clarifying that no such invitation or arrest had taken place.
Despite the confirmation of the hack, the NBS has not provided any additional updates on the restoration of its website or disclosed any developments regarding the breach. Efforts to contact Ichedi Sunday, the head of communications at the NBS, were unsuccessful on Monday. The prolonged downtime of the website has raised concerns about the bureau’s ability to provide crucial statistical data and updates to the public.
