The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has arrested a woman, Hafsat Abubakar, over the circulation of a fake notice purporting to announce the shutdown of OPay Digital Services Limited’s operations.
The police said the suspect was arrested on September 4, 2026, following a digital forensic investigation and online tracing of the source of the false communication. Three Apple mobile phones were also recovered from her as exhibits.
According to the NPF-NCCC, the fake notice was designed to appear as an official corporate communication from OPay, bearing the company’s logo, branding, name and a purported management signature and endorsement.
The notice falsely claimed that OPay was shutting down its operations, a development the police said had the potential to mislead members of the public, create unnecessary panic and cause concern among customers.
Following the circulation of the notice, operatives of the NPF-NCCC commenced digital forensic analysis and online tracing to determine its source and identify those responsible for its dissemination.
The investigation reportedly traced the publication to the X handle @HAIFAH_ER_ABBA, which was linked to Abubakar.
Police said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect published the notice on her X account before subsequently sharing it through another X handle, @CUTE_HAFSERH, where she tagged social media influencers and accompanied the post with the caption: “REMOVE YOUR MONEY NOW.”
The suspect reportedly told investigators that she obtained the purported notice from a WhatsApp status.
The police said the post attracted approximately 572,000 views within minutes of being published, potentially exposing a large number of social media users to the false information.
Three Apple mobile phones were recovered from the suspect and taken as exhibits as investigations continue.
The NPF-NCCC said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the creation and dissemination of the fake notice and determine whether other individuals were involved.
The suspect, along with any other person found culpable, will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, the police said.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, commended the NPF-NCCC operatives for tracing the online publication and effecting the arrest.
Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to combating cybercrime, digital fraud, impersonation and the spread of false information through digital platforms.
The Force also urged members of the public to exercise caution before acting on information circulated online, particularly messages concerning financial institutions and services.
It advised Nigerians to verify such information through the official communication channels of the institution concerned and promptly report suspicious online activities to the appropriate law-enforcement authorities.
