OPay Seeks DSS, Police Probe Over Viral Shutdown Rumour

Digital financial services company OPay has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate a viral social media claim that the fintech was shutting down its operations in Nigeria.

The company made the disclosure on Wednesday as it escalated its response to a fabricated message that circulated online, purportedly announcing that OPay would suspend transactions and account-related services from September 1, 2026.

The message also urged customers to withdraw their funds from the platform, triggering concerns among some users and raising broader questions about the potential impact of financial misinformation on Nigeria’s digital payments ecosystem.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, OPay’s Chief Legal Counsel, Akinfolabi Rokosu, said the company was cooperating with the DSS, police and other relevant authorities and had provided evidence to assist investigators in identifying those behind the creation and circulation of the false information.

According to him, OPay is also pursuing legal action against individuals responsible for deliberately creating or distributing the information.

The company warned that those found responsible could face the full consequences of the law.

‘OPay is going nowhere’

OPay’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer, Dotun Adekunle, sought to reassure customers that the company remains fully operational.

“OPay is here, OPay is operating, and OPay is going nowhere,” he said.

Adekunle pointed out that the fabricated message claimed the company would shut down on September 1. With OPay still operating on September 2, he said the claim had been clearly disproved.

He urged customers to verify information through OPay’s official communication channels before taking financial decisions based on messages circulating on social media and messaging platforms.

He also warned that fake corporate communications can be made to look authentic through copied logos, official-looking documents and widespread online sharing.

From social media rumour to security investigation
The shutdown claim first gained traction over the weekend after a purported OPay notice circulated online, advising customers to withdraw their funds ahead of an alleged indefinite suspension of services.

OPay immediately dismissed the notice as false and urged customers to disregard it. The company subsequently demanded a retraction and apology from some accounts that amplified the claim. One X user who had posted about the alleged shutdown later deleted the post and apologised.

The company has now taken the matter beyond social media, involving security and law-enforcement agencies.

For OPay, the incident goes beyond reputational damage. False information suggesting that a major digital financial platform is shutting down could potentially trigger unnecessary withdrawals, customer panic and disruption of confidence in digital payment services.

The Association of Licensed Mobile Payment Operators (ALMPO) has also warned that the incident has implications for the wider digital payments industry, stressing the importance of protecting public confidence while preserving legitimate scrutiny of financial institutions.

Why it matters
The OPay episode highlights a growing challenge for Nigeria’s digital economy: the speed at which misinformation can move online can be faster than the ability of companies and regulators to contain its impact.

For millions of Nigerians who increasingly depend on fintech platforms for payments, transfers, savings and other financial services, an apparently authentic message can quickly influence behaviour.

The incident also reinforces the need for consumers to distinguish between verified corporate announcements and unverified social media content particularly when such messages involve money, financial institutions or instructions to move funds.

OPay says its Nigerian operations remain fully active and has urged customers to rely on its verified channels for future announcements.