Following her arrest over a fake document alleging that fintech company OPAY had stopped operations in Nigeria, Hafsat Abubakar, 27, has expressed regret and pleaded with Nigerians to forgive her.
Abubakar was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre following a petition filed by OPAY Digital Services Limited over the circulation of the purported corporate notice.
The document, which circulated widely on social media last week, claimed that OPAY would cease operations in Nigeria from September 1. The report triggered concern among customers and other members of the public before the fintech company publicly dismissed the claim as false.
Abubakar, who was paraded by the police on Thursday, admitted that she shared the information without first confirming its authenticity with OPAY or verifying it with the person who initially circulated it.
When asked whether she had confirmed the information from the original source before reposting it, she replied, “No, I didn’t”.
She explained that she would not have shared the information if she had known it was false. According to her, she subsequently deleted the post and issued a public apology after OPAY drew her attention to the publication through its official social media platforms.
Abubakar said she realised the seriousness of the matter after seeing an OPAY post identifying her by name and her X handle, @HAIFAH_ER_ABBA.
“So I saw the post on Twitter which they wrote my name there and my handle at @HAIFAH_ER_ABBA. That’s where they called my attention on Twitter to take it down and tender a public apology, which I made the apology the same day,” she said.
She said her apology made it clear that she had not deliberately intended to spread false information, insisting that she was unaware the document was fraudulent when she shared it.
According to Abubakar, she later received an invitation from the police after OPAY filed a petition concerning the incident.
“After I apologised for like about five days, which was on 4th of September, I was arrested by Nigeria Police at home.
“When I asked what was my offence, they said OPay filed a petition against me and they are also on investigation on the case, so I have to come to Abuja with them from Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.”
Police Trace Circulation of Fake Document
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre said it received a formal petition from OPAY Digital Services Limited on August 31, 2026.
The petition, submitted through the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, requested an investigation into the creation and circulation of a fraudulent document purportedly issued by the fintech company.
According to the police, its digital forensics team launched an investigation and traced the circulation of the document to Abubakar, leading to her arrest.
Three mobile phones were reportedly recovered from her during the operation.
The police said the document was carefully designed to give the impression that it was an authentic corporate communication from OPAY. It reportedly carried the company's logo, corporate branding and name, alongside a purported signature and endorsement attributed to the company's management.
However, the document contained false information suggesting that OPAY was preparing to shut down its operations in Nigeria.
The police said the circulation of such a document had the potential to mislead members of the public, cause unnecessary panic and create concern among OPAY customers.
‘Verify Before You Share’
Abubakar, who disclosed that she was herself an OPAY customer, urged Nigerians to exercise greater caution when consuming and sharing information on social media.
She acknowledged that the incident had taught her the importance of verifying information before reposting it, particularly when the information concerns businesses, financial institutions or other matters capable of affecting members of the public.
“My advice to the whole Nigeria is to first verify before posting anything. Either posting or sharing, we have to verify and stop posting or spreading false information.
“OPay is one of my favourite companies and I enjoy doing business with them. I don’t wish them any harm or to spoil their reputation. Yes, I never knew the information was false. I wouldn’t have posted it.”
Abubakar also expressed regret over the consequences of the publication, saying she did not intend to damage OPAY's reputation.
“I regret my actions and any trouble that I have caused them. I’m very sorry,” she said.
The incident highlights the potential consequences of sharing unverified information online, particularly false claims involving financial institutions and businesses with large customer bases.
As social media continues to serve as a major source of information for millions of Nigerians, authorities and organisations have repeatedly urged users to authenticate claims before publishing or forwarding them to prevent the spread of misinformation and avoidable public panic.