OPay, one of Nigeria’s most prominent fintech platforms,
is under increasing public and regulatory scrutiny following a series of
fraud-related incidents and legal battles involving its services and
operations. From court cases to customer rights violations, recent events
between January and July 2025 have raised concerns about the platform’s
compliance mechanisms and user protection systems.
Despite OPay’s claims of maintaining strong financial security protocols, the platform has reportedly been exploited by fraudsters and embroiled in high-profile court disputes. Below is a summary of some major fraud and legal incidents involving OPay this year:
1. N95 Million Fraud Case Involving OPay Director
The Director of OPay Digital Services Limited, Mr.
Wuritka Dauda, is facing contempt of court charges for allegedly disobeying a
court order relating to a ₦95 million fraud case.
According to court filings, OPay’s
legal counsel, Prince Bayo Omotubora, is seeking an order to commit Dauda to
prison and compel him to appear before the court for disobeying express
directives issued in November 2024.
2. Terrorism Financing Allegations Raise Regulatory Flags
While OPay has not been directly named, the Nigeria
Sanctions Committee (NSC) recently designated Simon Ekpa, 14 others, and two
entities for allegedly financing terrorism. The announcement has raised
questions about the oversight and vulnerability of fintech platforms, like
OPay, to being exploited by extremist networks—prompting calls for stricter KYC
and transaction monitoring protocols.
3. ₦3 Million Mosque Donation
Blocked and Court-Ordered Reversal
In July 2025, OPay restricted an account belonging to
Muhammed Jamiu Abass, who received a ₦3
million donation to build a mosque in Nigeria while he was in Saudi Arabia. The
platform demanded documentation for identity and source verification, but
repeatedly rejected his submissions.
Frustrated, Abass filed a lawsuit through his brother in
Nigeria. In a December 2024 ruling, Justice F.A. Sodamade of the Osun State
High Court ordered OPay to unfreeze the account and pay ₦500,000
in damages for violating Abass’
fundamental rights—after
the company failed to appear in court despite being served notices.
4. Businessman Sues OPay Over Alleged Unauthorized
Deduction
In another incident reported by ThisDay, Mr. Suleiman
Mohammed Dikwa filed a lawsuit at the Jos High Court against OPay for allegedly
freezing his account and withdrawing ₦28,592.92
without consent. Dikwa claims the transaction was linked to a Kaduna Sharia
Court order, which was not properly communicated to him.
Through his counsel, F.M. Pukuma, Dikwa is demanding ₦30
million in damages, stating that the deduction was illegal and violated his
rights as a customer.
Calls for Regulatory Reform
These incidents, though varying in scale, have one common
thread—questionable enforcement practices and inadequate dispute resolution
mechanisms. Regulatory bodies, digital rights advocates, and financial analysts
are now urging the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Financial
Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to implement tighter oversight of fintech firms
operating in the country.
As fintech adoption continues to rise, industry observers
stress the urgent need for transparency, better customer support systems, and
legal accountability to restore public trust in digital banking platforms like
OPay.
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