The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has arrested an X user accused of spreading a false alert about OPay shutting down.
The suspect, Hafsat Abubakar, was picked up on September 4, the police announced on Thursday. Force spokesperson Ani Iniedu said the arrest followed a forensic probe into a post that went viral last week.
The post claimed OPay would close operations on September 1 and halt all transactions indefinitely. It urged customers to “withdraw their funds immediately to avoid inconvenience.”
According to police, Abubakar first published the notice from the handle @haifah_er_abba, then reposted it from @CUTE_HAFSERH with the caption “REMOVE YOUR MONEY NOW” and tags to several influencers. The message reportedly hit about 572,000 views within minutes.
Iniedu said Abubakar told investigators she copied the notice from a WhatsApp status. OPay had earlier dismissed the claim as false and warned of legal action against those behind it.
Operatives recovered three Apple iPhones from the suspect as evidence. The police added that the investigation is still ongoing to determine how the hoax was created and whether others were involved.
The suspect and any other persons found culpable will be charged to court once the probe is concluded, the NPF-NCCC said.
