Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has appealed to fintech company, OPay Digital Services Limited, to reconsider the continued detention of Hafsat Abubakar, the 27-year-old woman arrested over a viral false claim that the company was shutting down its operations.
Ahmad made the appeal in a post on X on Thursday, September 10, 2026, arguing that Abubakar had acknowledged her mistake and, according to information available to him, complied with OPay’s reported request to delete the post and apologise.
The former presidential aide said he did not support the publication of the false information, but questioned why Abubakar was still arrested after allegedly taking the corrective steps requested by the company.
According to Ahmad, the issue should be considered from both the standpoint of accountability and compassion, particularly because the suspect is a young student.
He said, “We all know that what Haifa did was wrong and virtually nobody supported her actions. However, I have questions about what happened afterwards.”
Ahmad explained that, based on what he had followed, OPay initially asked Abubakar to remove the post and issue an apology within a specified period.
His concern, therefore, was why the arrest became necessary if she had complied with those demands.
He said he would have understood the decision to involve law enforcement if Abubakar had refused to delete the post or apologise after being asked to do so.
“But if she did exactly what OPay requested, then I believe there are legitimate questions about why her arrest was still necessary, especially if the decision was influenced by calls from social media users demanding her arrest,” he said.
Ahmad subsequently appealed directly to OPay to review the circumstances surrounding the case and consider releasing the woman.
He described Abubakar as a young woman and student who made a mistake, was called out over it and, from his understanding, followed the corrective measures requested by the fintech company.
“I therefore want to make a sincere and strong appeal to OPay; please, kindly look into this matter again. Haifa is a young woman and a student. She made a mistake, was called out for it, and, from what we all saw, complied with the corrective steps OPay itself requested,” Ahmad said.
The former aide maintained that keeping Abubakar in custody would serve little useful purpose if it was established that she had already removed the false publication and apologised.
He also drew a distinction between condemning an action and condemning the person responsible for it, stressing that accountability should not rule out compassion.
“We can condemn what Haifa did without condemning her as a person. We can hold people accountable for their mistakes while still showing compassion, especially when they have acknowledged the wrongdoing and complied with the remedy requested of them,” he said.
Ahmad urged OPay to consider allowing the incident to end as a lesson for the young woman rather than becoming an event that could have lasting consequences for her future.
“OPay, please reconsider this matter. We appeal to you to have Haifa released and allow this incident to end with a lesson learned rather than a young student’s life being unnecessarily derailed,” he added.
Why Was Hafsat Abubakar Arrested?
Abubakar’s arrest followed the circulation of a fabricated document on social media claiming that OPay was planning to shut down its operations.
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre said OPay submitted a formal petition on August 31, 2026, requesting an investigation into the origin of the document and the identification and apprehension of those responsible for creating and circulating it.
The police said the document was designed to resemble an official communication from OPay Digital Services Limited.
Following the petition, investigators said they deployed digital forensic tools to examine the material and trace its source. The investigation eventually led them to an X account, @haifah_er_abba, which the police identified as being registered and operated by Abubakar.
The NPF-NCCC subsequently arrested Abubakar on September 4, according to Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu. The police identified her as a 27-year-old graduate of Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The police later said their preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect had published the alleged false notice on her X account and subsequently shared it through another account while urging people to withdraw their money.
According to the police account, the post attracted approximately 572,000 views within minutes. Three Apple mobile phones were also reportedly recovered from Abubakar as exhibits.
The authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and that Abubakar, as well as anyone else found culpable, would be charged to court after the investigation is concluded.
OPay Shutdown Claim Was False
The controversy began after a document circulated online claiming that OPay would cease operations from September 1, 2026.
The document was presented as an official communication from the fintech company and reportedly suggested that transactions and account-related services would be suspended indefinitely.
OPay subsequently dismissed the notice as false and reassured customers that its operations remained active.
The company also pointed to apparent inconsistencies in the document, including the use of an outdated logo, an incorrect spelling of the company’s name and a format that did not correspond with its official communications.
The development prompted concerns over the potential impact of fabricated information involving a financial institution, particularly where such claims could cause customers to panic or attempt to withdraw their funds.
The police have consequently urged members of the public to verify information concerning financial institutions through official communication channels before sharing or acting on it.
While Ahmad acknowledged that the original publication was wrong, his intervention has shifted attention to what should happen after the person accused of spreading the information has allegedly admitted the error and taken steps to correct it.
His appeal to OPay comes as the police investigation into the origin and wider circulation of the fake shutdown notice continues.