By Annette Ikponmwonba | September 10, 2026
Keypoints
• Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad has appealed to OPay to reconsider the arrest of Haifa Abubakar.
• Haifa was detained over a viral post falsely claiming that OPay was shutting down its operations.
• Ahmad said Haifa admitted her mistake, deleted the post and apologised as allegedly requested by OPay.
• He questioned why she remained in custody after complying with the company’s demands.
• Ahmad urged OPay to release the student and allow the incident to serve as a lesson rather than derail her future.
Main Story
A former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has appealed to OPay Digital Services Limited to reconsider the arrest of Haifa Abubakar, who was detained over a viral post falsely claiming that the fintech company was shutting down its operations, Ahmad made the appeal in a post on X on Thursday, saying Haifa had admitted her mistake and, based on his understanding, complied with OPay’s request to delete the post and issue an apology.
He acknowledged that Haifa’s action was wrong but questioned the need for her continued detention after she allegedly complied with the corrective measures requested 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.
He explained that, from what he had followed, OPay initially asked Haifa to remove the post and apologise within a specified timeframe, “My understanding is that she did exactly what she was asked to do; she removed the post and apologised. So, why would OPay still go ahead to have her arrested, particularly if she had complied with the company’s demands?” he asked.
The Issues
Ahmad said he would have viewed the situation differently if Haifa had refused to delete the post or apologise after being asked to do so, He questioned whether her arrest was necessary if she had already complied with OPay’s demands, particularly if public pressure on social media influenced the decision to have her arrested, The former aide also stressed that condemning Haifa’s actions should not mean condemning her as a person.
What’s Being Said
Ahmad described Haifa as a young woman and student who made a mistake and subsequently complied with the corrective measures allegedly requested by OPay, “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,” he said.
He argued that accountability and compassion could coexist, particularly when someone acknowledges wrongdoing and takes 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, especially when they have acknowledged the wrongdoing and complied with the remedy requested of them,” Ahmad added.
What’s Next
Ahmad is calling on OPay to review the circumstances surrounding Haifa’s arrest and consider releasing her, He said the matter should ultimately serve as a lesson rather than unnecessarily damage the student’s future.
Bottom Line
Bashir Ahmad has appealed to OPay to release Haifa Abubakar, arguing that she admitted her mistake, removed the disputed post and apologised. He said accountability should be balanced with compassion when a person accepts responsibility and complies with corrective measures.
