Police Arrest Woman Over Fake OPay Shutdown Notice

The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has arrested a 27-year-old woman, Hafsat Abubakar, for allegedly creating and circulating a forged document claiming fintech company OPay Nigeria Limited was shutting down operations.

Force Public Relations Officer, Anietie Iniedu, confirmed the arrest during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

He explained that the investigation began after OPay submitted a petition on August 31, 2026, requesting urgent action against those behind the false notice.

Digital forensic analysis traced the document to a post on the X account @haifah_er_abba, operated by Abubakar, a graduate of Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

She was arrested on September 4, 2026.Iniedu warned that fabricated information targeting financial institutions could cause public panic, disrupt economic activities, and damage reputations.

He urged Nigerians to verify sensitive information through official channels before sharing.

The arrest followed OPay’s earlier denial of the viral claim, with the company stressing it remained fully operational.

OPay officials highlighted irregularities in the fake notice, including an outdated logo, misspellings, and formatting errors inconsistent with its official communications.

The company said it was working with security agencies to trace the origin of the document and warned that deliberate spread of false information about its operations could lead to legal consequences.