Police Arrest Woman Over Fake OPay Shutdown Notice

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 27-year-old Hafsat Abubakar over the alleged creation and circulation of a forged document falsely claiming that fintech company OPay was shutting down its operations in Nigeria. The arrest was carried out by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) on September 4, 2026, following a digital forensic investigation into the viral notice.

The controversy began after a document circulated widely on social media claiming that OPay would stop processing transactions and account-related services indefinitely from September 1. The message also urged customers to withdraw their funds immediately.

OPay subsequently dismissed the claim as false, assuring customers that the company had no plans to shut down its Nigerian operations.

According to the police, OPay Digital Services Limited submitted a formal petition on August 31, requesting an investigation into the origin and circulation of the fraudulent document.

The NPF-NCCC said it deployed digital forensic tools to analyse the document and trace its source. Investigators eventually linked the publication to an X account allegedly operated by Abubakar.

Police said Abubakar first published the notice on her X account and later shared it through another account, where she tagged social media influencers and accompanied the post with the message, “REMOVE YOUR MONEY NOW.”

The suspect reportedly told investigators that she obtained the document from a WhatsApp status. Police said the post received approximately 572,000 views within minutes, increasing the potential for the false information to spread rapidly among OPay customers. Three Apple mobile phones were recovered from Abubakar as exhibits.

The police have not concluded their investigation. Authorities said they are still working to establish the circumstances surrounding the creation and distribution of the forged notice and determine whether other people were involved.

The police said Abubakar and anyone else found culpable will be charged to court after the investigation is completed. The incident highlights the potential consequences of spreading false information about financial institutions, particularly claims that could trigger panic withdrawals or undermine public confidence in a financial platform.

OPay has continued to operate and has urged customers to rely on its verified communication channels for official updates rather than unverified messages circulating on social media.