Woman Arrested for Fake OPay Shutdown Notice

Hafsat Abubakar, a 27-year-old graduate of Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was arrested on September 4, 2026, by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC). The arrest was made following a formal petition from OPay Digital Services Limited received on August 31, 2026, which requested an urgent investigation into the creation and circulation of a forged document falsely suggesting that OPay Nigeria Limited was shutting down its operations.

The document was presented as an official communication from OPay. Anietie Iniedu, the Force Public Relations Officer, stated that the NCCC deployed digital forensic tools to trace the origin of the document, which was linked to a post on the X handle @haifah_er_abba operated by Abubakar.

Iniedu emphasized the dangers of digitally fabricated information and warned the public against sharing unverified sensitive information. The investigation is ongoing, and those found culpable will face prosecution.