The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, NPF-NCCC, has arrested a 27-year-old woman, Hafsat Abubakar, over the creation and circulation of a forged document falsely claiming that OPay Nigeria Limited was shutting down operations.

Force Public Relations Officer, Anietie Iniedu, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to Iniedu, the arrest followed a petition submitted by OPay Digital Services Limited on August 31, 2026, through the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, FCID.

The petition requested urgent investigation into persons responsible for creating and circulating a fraudulent document falsely presented as an official OPay communication.

“Upon receipt of the petition, the NCCC deployed digital forensic tools to analyse the content, which was traced to an X handle, @haifah_er_abba, registered and operated by Hafsat Abubakar,” Iniedu said.

He said Abubakar, a graduate of Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was arrested on September 4, 2026.

The FPRO said the incident highlights the danger of digitally fabricated information, which can cause public panic, financial disruption and reputational damage.

He urged the public to verify sensitive information through official channels before sharing.

The investigation is ongoing, and the police assured that culpable persons will face prosecution.

OPay had earlier debunked the viral notice, describing it as “completely false.” The company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Folayemi Joshua, said operations remain normal. OPay noted inconsistencies in the fake document, including an outdated logo and misspelt brand name.

The company confirmed it is working with the DSS and Nigeria Police to investigate the source of the false information.

Source: Nigeria Police Force, OPay Nigeria