The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has arrested a 27-year-old woman, Hafsat Abubakar, for allegedly creating and circulating a forged document claiming that fintech company OPay Digital Services Limited was shutting down its operations. ​
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Anietie Iniedu, disclosed the arrest on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, during a press briefing at the NPF-NCCC headquarters in Abuja. ​According to the police spokesperson, the investigation began after OPay submitted a formal petition on August 31, 2026, through the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja.
The petition requested an urgent investigation and tracing of those responsible for producing and disseminating the fraudulent document, which caused public panic by urging customers to immediately withdraw their funds. ​
Deploying advanced digital forensic analysis, police operatives traced the origin of the false communication to an X (formerly Twitter) account, @HAIFAH_ER_ABBA, operated by Abubakar, a graduate of Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Operatives apprehended the suspect on September 4, 2026. ​Investigators revealed that Abubakar allegedly shared the notice accompanied by the caption “REMOVE YOUR MONEY NOW,” gaining over 572,000 views within minutes. Three Apple mobile phones were recovered from her as exhibits.
While the suspect claimed during preliminary interrogation that she obtained the notice from a WhatsApp status, forensic tracing identified her handles among the primary drivers of the panic-inducing post. ​Following the initial spread of the fake notice, OPay debunked the shutdown claims, reassuring users that its operations remained fully intact.
Folayemi Joshua, Head of Corporate Communications at OPay, described the notice as “completely false,” pointing out clear fabrications including an outdated logo and incorrect formatting. Akinfolabi Rokosu, OPay’s Chief Legal Counsel, confirmed that the company filed formal complaints with the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to hold the perpetrators accountable. ​
The police confirmed that investigations remain ongoing to identify potential co-conspirators, after which the suspect will be charged in court. Authorities urged members of the public to verify sensitive financial information through official corporate channels before sharing content online.
