SSS and police investigate those behind viral OPay shutdown claim

OPay says it is “going nowhere” after a viral message urged customers to withdraw their money and claimed the fintech would shut down in Nigeria on Sept. 1.

The company addressed the message at a press conference and town hall meeting, saying it had caused concern among customers, merchants and other stakeholders. OPay operates in the financial inclusion sector, where many users are first-time users of digital financial services.

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer Dotun Adekunle said the message did not come from OPay. “There is no decision from OPay or by OPay to shut down its operations in Nigeria, and there is no indefinite leave,” he said. The message claimed the company would stop processing transactions until further notice, but Adekunle pointed out that OPay was still operating on Sept. 2.

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OPay is going nowhere. The message that is circulating online is false. It did not come from OPay. There is no decision from OPay or by OPay to shut down its operations in Nigeria, and there is no indefinite leave.

OPay had already rejected the claim in a post on X, describing it as false. On Monday, it demanded that accounts linked to the post, including Adamu B. Garba on X and Viralgrabtvng on TikTok, remove the publication. The company called the message “false, malicious, libellous and defamatory.”

Adekunle said the Central Bank of Nigeria had also identified the message as fake news. He warned customers against trusting posts that appear official but do not originate from the company. OPay said false information about a financial institution could create fear, disrupt businesses and weaken confidence in the wider financial system. The company said it would work with authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible.

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In fact, according to the false information itself, OPay was supposed to have shut down yesterday, 1 September. It is September two, and we are still here. Our services continue to operate normally.