Trouble is brewing over the fake “OPay is shutting down” message that sent social media into a frenzy, with the fintech giant now calling in the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to track down those behind the rumour.
OPay has vowed that whoever created, circulated or deliberately amplified the false information will face the full weight of the law.
The company’s Chief Legal Counsel, Akinfolabi Rokosu, disclosed this on Wednesday at a press conference, saying security agencies were already investigating the source and spread of the message.
According to him, OPay had handed over relevant evidence to investigators to assist them in identifying those responsible.
Rokosu said the company was taking the matter seriously because false information about a major financial platform could trigger panic and cause serious reputational and commercial damage.
He warned that OPay would not sit back and allow its name to be dragged through the mud.
He said the company would pursue legal action against those responsible and ensure that the law was enforced.
The warning comes days after a bogus notice began circulating online claiming that OPay would embark on a “long indefinite break” from September 1, 2026.
The fake notice reportedly told customers to withdraw their money quickly because transactions and account-related services would allegedly be suspended.
But OPay immediately cried foul, dismissing the publication as false and malicious and assuring customers that its operations would continue.
The company later issued a legal demand to an X user, Cute Hafserh, whose account had shared the shutdown claim, demanding that the post be deleted, retracted and followed by a public apology.
The user subsequently deleted the post and apologised, admitting that the information she had shared was false and misleading.
But the controversy did not end there.
Speaking at Wednesday’s briefing, OPay’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer, Dotun Adekunle, declared that the company remained fully operational and had no plans whatsoever to leave Nigeria.
He pointed to the biggest proof that the viral message was fake—the alleged shutdown date had already passed.
Adekunle said OPay was still processing transactions on September 2, the day after the supposed shutdown, stressing that the company was “going nowhere.”
He urged customers to stop making financial decisions based on messages forwarded on social media, WhatsApp and other messaging platforms without checking their authenticity.
According to him, a fake message can be made to look official by copying a company’s logo, designing a convincing document and getting thousands of people to share it.
But, he stressed, widespread circulation does not turn false information into truth.
OPay has therefore urged customers to rely on its verified communication channels for announcements concerning its operations and accounts.
The company’s latest move also highlights the growing concern over misinformation targeting financial institutions, where a single false message can spark panic withdrawals and undermine public confidence.
For now, however, OPay says the doors are still wide open, its services remain active and there is no shutdown.
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