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Help!! Hacker breaks, releases staggering 10 billion passwords, what you must do now! Read what cyber experts say
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Cyber experts have urgently warned people to update their passwords after a hacker uploaded billions of login details.
The leak, called RockYou2024, was posted on July 4th containing a staggering 10 billion passwords from a compilation of old and new data breaches.
Researchers who revealed the leak said the information could allow hackers to target any system that isn’t protected by strict security software including online and offline services, online cameras and industrial hardware.
This could prompt a wave of data breaches, financial fraud and identity theft using the passwords, which were collected from more than 4,000 databases over the last two decades.
Cybernews researchers revealed that a hacker released a staggering 10 billion passwords collected from 4,000 database.
The user, who goes by ObamaCare, used 8.4 billion passwords from an earlier crime forum released in 2021 and cracked 1.5 billion new passwords
Researchers at Cybernews who investigated the hack said the perpetrator goes by the name ObamaCare.
The person appeared to use 8.4 billion passwords from an earlier crime forum released in 2021.
However, an additional 1.5 billion new passwords were obtained from records from 2021 to 2024.
‘Xmas came early this year,’ ObamaCare wrote on the forum.
‘I present to you a new rockyou2024 password list with over 9.9 billion passwords.
The hacker added that they ‘also cracked some old ones with [their] new 4090,’ – a high-end Nvidia graphics card – containing ‘actual new real passwords from users.’
The file was released in a 45.6-gigabyte zip archive using leaked records from sites like X (formerly Twitter), AdultFriendFinder, MyFitnessPal, LinkedIn and Adobe.
The top two impacted brands are Chinese-based companies that far surpass other online companies.
They include 1.5 billion from Tencent – a tech company that provides internet services – and 504 million from social media platform Weibo.
‘In its essence, the RockYou2024 leak is a compilation of real-world passwords used by individuals all over the world,’ the researchers said, adding ‘revealing that many passwords for threat actors substantially heightens the risk of credential stuffing attacks.’
Credential stuffing occurs when hackers use a password from one data breach to log in to an unrelated service like using a password obtained from the AT&T leak to see if the person uses the same password for their bank account.
Cybernews told Forbes that its researchers have been in contact with the hacker and are working to investigate the datasets and the roughly ‘30 gigabytes of combo lists from which data was extracted.’
Users can check if their password was leaked by visiting the Cybernews site and entering their password.
As a preventive measure, users should immediately reset their leaked passwords on all accounts and select strong, unique combinations that aren’t used on multiple platforms.
They should also enable multi-factor authentication which provides a second level of security by requiring verification like facial recognition or a PIN in addition to the passwords.
‘There really is no excuse not to use unique passwords for every single account as data breaches unfortunately continue to occur and grow,’ Jake Moore, the global cybersecurity advisor for security vendor ESET told Forbes.
‘Luckily, password managers are easier than ever to use and implement into daily life. Plus they offer the hard part of password generation and the secure storing of these complex codes.’
•Exco Member Threatens Legal Action Over Signature Forgery
A controversial move to suspend Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward 9, Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, has sparked backlash and legal threats, deepening cracks within the local party structure.
An Ex-Officio member of the ward, Prophet Edet Ben, has formally disclaimed the suspension process in a sworn affidavit before the High Court in Uyo, describing the exercise as fraudulent and non-existent.
He stated that no meeting was convened on April 22, 2026, to deliberate on any disciplinary action against anyone and denied ever attending or endorsing such proceedings.
Prophet Ben further alleged that his name and signature were falsely included in an attendance list tied to the purported suspension, disowning both the document and a related “Letter of Suspension” addressed to party leadership both at the chapter and state levels.
In a separate notice, Edet Ben demanded the immediate removal of his name, a public retraction, and cessation of further use of his identity without consent, warning of legal action if ignored beyond 24 hours.
The disputed suspension, reportedly announced by a faction within the ward, accused Hon Eyiboh, Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, of anti-party activity.
However, the allegation has drawn widespread criticism for targeting a figure said to have recently mobilised grassroot support for top APC leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Umo Eno.
A grassroots political group, Ward Nine New Era (WNNE) had earlier, dismissed the suspension as “malicious, baseless, and void,” questioning both the legitimacy of the ward executives and the logic of penalising community mobilisation efforts to enhance party strengths
New Era had wondered why only Hon Eyiboh was singled out for the purported suspension, when other respected leaders of Esit Eket LGA
who attended the community Stakeholders’ endorsement meeting were not called out for suspension.
Ward Nine New Era listed stakeholders to include the former NDDC Managing Director, Sir Bassey Dan-Abia; former speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Bassey Essien; former Member of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon(Dr). Usoro Akpan-Uso; former Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon (Dr) Ini Adiakpan who is also a current Delivery Advisor to the Governor, among many others.
The group maintained that due process was not followed and urged members to disregard the action.
Separately, commentators have described the episode as a “self-defeating contradiction and contortion,” arguing that branding pro-party advocacy as anti-party conduct exposes internal inconsistencies and weakens the credibility of those sponsoring the purported suspension.
With allegations of forgery, denial of due process, and rising internal dissent, the attempted suspension now unravels potential rift shifting from a disciplinary claim into a legal and political liability for its promoters.
The refinery announced the increase on Wednesday, hiking the the price from N1,200 to N1,275 per litre.
In the same way, coastal prices have gone up to N1,215 per litre.
This adjustment amid Brent crude trading at $114.80 per barrel marks a 3.15% increase.
Recall that the Brent crude has increased to $115 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose to $103 per barrel on Wednesday.
News
Unbelievable: Police say officer who publicly executed handcuffed Delta man was under “spiritual attack”
The Nigeria Police Force has claimed that the extrajudicial killing of a handcuffed suspect by Officer Usman Nuhu in Delta State to potential spiritual forces, a statement that has sparked widespread outrage and disbelief across the country.
“I will start with the issue at hand, which is a very sad issue.
” There is no explanation for this. I don’t just get what was wrong with that policeman (Mr Nuhu),” Bright Edafe, the spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, said in an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday.
“Police cannot attribute problems to spirituality, but that may not be far from it. Because that’s the only explanation one can give to what he did,” Edafe added.
The shocking statement comes days after a viral video sighted showed Officer Usman Nuhu executing a handcuffed suspect in broad daylight along the Warri–Sapele Expressway in Effurun, Delta State.
The victim has been identified as Mene Ogidi, a young man who had been apprehended for allegedly attempting to waybill a parcel containing a Beretta pistol with four rounds of ammunition.
In the graphic video, the handcuffed suspect was seen begging for his life, shouting, “I will talk! I will take you to the person who gave me the waybill!”
Despite his pleas, Officer Nuhu was seen taking a magazine from a fellow policeman, inserting it into his AK-47 rifle, and shooting the suspect at close range. The victim died instantly.
The police spokesperson’s suggestion of a spiritual explanation has been met with widespread condemnation from human rights activists, legal experts, and ordinary Nigerians who view it as an attempt to deflect responsibility from the officer’s actions.
Many have pointed out that the police force had already condemned the killing and transferred Officer Nuhu to Force Headquarters in Abuja to face the Force Disciplinary Committee for summary disciplinary measures and prosecution.
The Inspector-General of Police had also extended condolences to the family of the deceased and assured them that justice would be served.
However, the latest statement from the Delta Command appears to contradict the earlier stance of the Force Headquarters, raising questions about whether the police are seriously pursuing accountability or seeking supernatural excuses for extrajudicial killings.
Eyiboh’s Purported Suspension Backfires in Esit Eket Ward 9 APC
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Unbelievable: Police say officer who publicly executed handcuffed Delta man was under “spiritual attack”
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