Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has appealed to fintech company OPay Digital Services Limited to reconsider the arrest of a woman accused of circulating a false claim that the company had shut down its operations.
Ahmad made the appeal in a post on X on Thursday, following the arrest of Haifa Abubakar by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre.
The former aide said Abubakar had admitted her mistake and, based on his understanding of the matter, deleted the post and apologised after OPay asked her to do so.
He questioned why the woman remained in custody if she had complied with the company’s demands.
“We all know that what Haifa did was wrong and virtually nobody supported her actions,” Ahmad said.
“However, if she did exactly what OPay requested, then I believe there are legitimate questions about why her arrest was still necessary.”
Ahmad said he would have viewed the matter differently if Abubakar had refused to delete the post or apologise after being asked to do so.
He appealed to OPay to review the case, describing Abubakar as a young student who made a mistake and subsequently took steps to correct it.
“We can condemn what Haifa did without condemning her as a person. We can hold people accountable for their mistakes while still showing compassion,” he said.
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Ahmad urged OPay to release Abubakar, saying the incident should end as a lesson rather than have a lasting impact on the student’s future.
The appeal follows the police announcement that Abubakar was arrested on September 4 after a fake notice claiming that OPay had shut down its operations circulated online.
The NPF-NCCC said its operatives launched a digital forensic investigation after the notice went viral and traced the post to an X account linked to Abubakar.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the police said Abubakar was subsequently arrested after the investigation identified her as the person behind the account.
The police have not indicated that OPay itself made the arrest, while Ahmad’s appeal is directed at the fintech company to reconsider the matter.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
