Buhari’s Ex-Aide Reacts As Police Arrest Lady Over Fake OPay Shutdown Report

A former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, has appealed to OPay Digital Services Limited to reconsider the continued detention of student Haifa Abubakar, who was arrested over a false social media report claiming that the fintech company was shutting down its operations.

According to Ireporter Online, Ahmad made the appeal in a post on X on Thursday, arguing that although Haifa was wrong to publish the false information, she had reportedly admitted her mistake, deleted the post and apologised after being contacted by OPay.

The former presidential aide said he did not support the publication of the false report but questioned why the matter escalated to an arrest if the student had complied with the corrective measures allegedly demanded by the company.

“We all know that what Haifa did was wrong and virtually nobody supported her actions. However, I have questions about what happened afterwards,” Ahmad said.

According to Ahmad, OPay initially asked Haifa to remove the post and apologise within a specified period, which he said she subsequently did.

“My understanding is that she did exactly what she was asked to do; she removed the post and apologised,” he added.

He questioned why the company allegedly proceeded with her arrest despite her compliance, noting that the circumstances could have been different if she had refused to take down the post or correct the information.

“So, why would OPay still go ahead to have her arrested, particularly if she had complied with the company’s demands?” Ahmad asked.

He maintained that while Haifa should be held accountable for her actions, the response should also take into consideration that she is a young student who allegedly acknowledged her mistake and took steps to rectify it.

Ahmad therefore appealed to OPay to review its position and consider releasing the student.

“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,” he said.

The former aide argued that continued detention could have serious consequences for the student and questioned whether keeping her in custody would serve any further useful purpose.

“If that is indeed the case, I believe keeping her in custody serves little useful purpose,” Ahmad stated.

He also urged the public to distinguish between condemning Haifa’s alleged action and condemning her as an individual, stressing that people who acknowledge their mistakes should be given an opportunity to make amends.

“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 concluded by appealing to OPay to release the student and allow the incident to serve as a lesson rather than an experience that could negatively affect 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.