The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has arrested a 27-year-old woman, Hafsat Abubakar, over the alleged creation and circulation of a forged document claiming that fintech company OPay Nigeria Limited was planning to shut down its operations.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Anietie Iniedu, disclosed this during a press briefing at the NPF-NCCC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Iniedu, the investigation began after OPay Digital Services Limited submitted a formal petition to the police on August 31, 2026, requesting an urgent probe into the origin of the document and the identification and arrest of those responsible for producing and distributing it.
The petition was submitted through the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police overseeing the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja.
The police said the document was fraudulently presented as an official notice from OPay and was subsequently circulated online.
Following the petition, the National Cybercrime Centre deployed digital forensic tools to examine the document and trace its source. The investigation reportedly linked the material to a post made from the X account @haifah_er_abba, which police said was registered and operated by Abubakar.
Police operatives subsequently arrested Abubakar on September 4, 2026.
Iniedu identified her as a graduate of Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and said she was 27 years old at the time of her arrest.
The police spokesman warned that digitally manipulated information could have serious consequences, particularly when false claims involve financial institutions and have the potential to cause public panic, financial losses or damage to a company’s reputation.
He also urged members of the public to verify sensitive information through official sources before sharing it on social media or other platforms.
The police said investigations into the matter were still ongoing and assured that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted after the investigation is concluded.
The arrest followed a viral social media claim that OPay would stop operating from September 1, 2026. The company had previously dismissed the claim, stating that the notice circulating online was fake and that its services remained fully operational.
The fabricated document, titled “Official Note,” purportedly announced that OPay would indefinitely suspend transaction processing and account-related services from September 1.
OPay’s Head of Corporate Communications, Folayemi Joshua, described the purported notice as false and urged customers to rely exclusively on the company’s verified communication channels for information about its services.
The company also identified several irregularities in the document, including the use of an outdated logo, a misspelt company name and a format that did not correspond with its legitimate corporate communications.
OPay’s Chief Legal Counsel, Akinfolabi Rokosu, had also disclosed that the company was cooperating with the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force to establish the source of the false publication.
The fintech company warned that people who deliberately create or circulate false information capable of misleading the public about its operations could face legal consequences.
