Lagos police have arrested two women on charges of conspiracy, false publication and economic sabotage after a social‑media post falsely claimed that Access Bank Plc would cease operations on Sept. 23 and urged customers to close their accounts and withdraw funds.
The alleged misinformation was first posted on Facebook on July 28 by one of the suspects, who has a follower count of more than 12,000. The same content was subsequently shared on a WhatsApp group called “Queendom” and circulated on other platforms within a day, amplifying its reach.
According to Assistant Inspector‑General of Police Simeon Akpanudom of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), the suspects were located and detained in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, after Access Bank filed a petition with its solicitors on July 30. The police say the investigation uncovered that one suspect posted the message on the WhatsApp group at about 9:04 a.m. on July 28, while the other copied it to her Facebook account.
Akpanudom warned that the fabricated announcement could have “caused the collapse of the bank, economic crisis and national embarrassment,” prompting the bank’s legal action. He added that detectives moved swiftly, tracing the digital trail that led to the arrests.
Both women reportedly admitted to their involvement during questioning. Access Bank, one of Nigeria’s largest commercial banks, has not commented further on the incident.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
