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Nigeria Police Arrest Woman for Forging and Spreading False OPay Shutdown Document
Police have arrested 27-year-old Hafsat Abubakar over an alleged forged notice claiming OPay would shut down its operations, after digital forensics traced the document to an X account linked to her.
The Nigeria Police Force has detained a 27-year-old woman named Hafsat Abubakar for allegedly creating and distributing a fake document that falsely claimed fintech company OPay Nigeria Limited was ceasing its operations.
The arrest was revealed on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anietie Iniedu, during a press conference at the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja. Iniedu explained that the investigation began after OPay Digital Services Limited filed an official complaint on August 31, 2026, requesting the police to investigate and apprehend those responsible for the fraudulent document.
“In response to the petition received on August 31, 2026, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) launched an investigation using digital forensic tools to analyze the document and trace its source,” Iniedu stated.
The analysis led to a social media post from the X account @Hafsat_ER_ABBA, which is registered to Hafsat Abubakar. Consequently, police officers arrested Abubakar on September 4, 2026.
Abubakar is a 27-year-old graduate in Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, according to the police spokesman.
This incident follows OPay’s denial of rumors circulating on social media that it would suspend its services starting September 1, 2026. The false reports claimed the fintech company would halt all transactions and account services indefinitely, urging users to withdraw their funds immediately, which caused alarm among customers.
OPay refuted these claims as baseless and harmful, reassuring customers that it has no intention of stopping its operations. “OPay is not going on break by September. We’re here, and we’re going nowhere!” the company declared in a social media statement.
The fintech firm also warned customers to be wary of unofficial information online and emphasized that genuine communications from OPay can be identified by their official channels. They urged the public to verify information before sharing, especially when it concerns financial matters, advising, “Always verify before you share. Filter the noise!”
OPay encouraged users to rely solely on its verified social media accounts for authentic updates and official announcements.