27-year-old ABU graduate arrested after police trace fake OPay shutdown notice to her X account

• Police arrested 27-year-old Hafsat Abubakar over a fake OPay shutdown notice.

• Digital forensics reportedly traced the document to her X account.

• OPay had earlier dismissed the September 1 shutdown claim as false. 

A 27-year-old woman has been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) over a fake notice claiming that OPay would shut down its operations in Nigeria.

The suspect, identified as Hafsat Abubakar, was arrested on September 4 after OPay petitioned the police over the circulation of the fraudulent document.

According to the Force Public Relations Officer, Anietie Iniedu, OPay submitted the petition on August 31 through the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja.

The company asked the police to investigate, trace and apprehend those responsible for creating and circulating a document that was made to look like an official OPay communication.

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The fake notice had claimed that OPay would stop processing transactions and account-related services from September 1, 2026. It also advised customers to withdraw their funds to avoid being affected.

OPay quickly dismissed the notice as false and assured customers that its services remained available.

The fintech company said the document contained several signs that it was not genuine, including an outdated logo, an incorrect spelling of the brand name and a design that did not match its official communication materials.

The company later said it was working with the police and the Department of State Services to identify those behind the false information.

The police said its cybercrime investigators then used digital forensic tools to examine the document and trace its origin. According to Iniedu, the investigation led officers to an X account, @Hafsat_ER_ABBA, which the police said was registered and operated by Abubakar.

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The police identified Abubakar as a graduate of Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The Force said the incident highlights the potential consequences of fabricated digital information, particularly when false claims involving financial institutions can create public panic, disrupt business activities and damage a company's reputation.

The investigation is still ongoing, and the police said anyone found culpable would face prosecution after the conclusion of the investigation.

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OPay has repeatedly urged customers to verify information through its official communication channels before acting on messages shared on social media or messaging platforms.

The company also remained operational after September 1, the date mentioned in the fake notice, and later reaffirmed that there was no plan to suspend its Nigerian operations.