The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has arrested a 27-year-old woman, Hafsat Abubakar, over the alleged creation and circulation of a fake notice claiming that OPay Nigeria Limited would shut down its operations.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Anietie Iniedu, disclosed the arrest during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the investigation began after OPay Digital Services Limited submitted a petition to the police on August 31, requesting an investigation into the source of the fraudulent document and the arrest of those responsible.
According to Iniedu, the document was designed to look like an official communication from OPay and was circulated online.
He said digital forensic tools were used by investigators to trace the document to a post on the X account, @haifah_er_abba, allegedly operated by Abubakar.Police operatives arrested the suspect on September 4.
Iniedu identified Abubakar as a graduate of Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
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The police spokesman warned Nigerians against sharing unverified information, saying fabricated online content could cause public panic, financial disruption and damage to the reputation of organisations.
He added that the investigation was ongoing and that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted.
OPay had earlier dismissed the viral shutdown notice as false, assuring customers that its services remained operational and urging them to rely on its official communication channels for accurate information.
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