The arrest of a 27-year-old suspect has shifted focus from a viral hoax to the broader risk that false information poses to Nigeria’s fast-growing fintech sector. Authorities say a forged notice that told customers OPay would stop processing transactions and account services from September 1 prompted calls for withdrawals and forced the company to publicly rebut the claim.
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre says it traced the fraudulent document to an X account allegedly operated by Hafsat Abubakar after receiving a formal complaint from OPay Digital Services Limited. "On the 31st of August 2026, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, NCCC, received a formal petition from OPay Digital Services Limited through the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, requesting urgent investigation, tracing and apprehension of persons responsible for the creation and simulation of a fraudulent document falsely presented as an official communication issued by OPay Nigeria Limited," Police spokesman Anietie Iniedu said at a briefing at the NPF-NCCC in Abuja.
Police say investigators deployed digital forensic methods to analyse the document and traced its origin, arresting Abubakar on September 4 and recovering three mobile phones as exhibits. OPay denies the shutdown claim and held a town hall in Lagos on September 2 to reassure customers, merchants and stakeholders that its operations were unaffected.
The episode has prompted warnings from industry observers about the fragility of trust in platforms that handle everyday payments for millions of Nigerians. Police highlighted the potential for digitally fabricated content to trigger public panic, financial disruption and reputational harm, and urged the public not to share sensitive material without verification through official channels.
Investigators say the probe is ongoing. The police will determine whether any offence was committed and, if culpability is established, those responsible will face prosecution after the investigation concludes. Meanwhile public debate over the circumstances of the arrest has continued online as authorities complete their forensic work and legal review.
