OPay, fintech firm, has introduced two new security features, Emergency Lock and Safety PIN, to help customers protect their funds during emergencies and threats to their accounts.
The company said in a statement that the features were designed to give customers greater control over their money during security risks such as phone theft, robbery, account compromise, or forced transfers.
According to a statement by the firm, Emergency Lock allows customers to instantly freeze their OPay account with a single tap whenever they suspect a threat to their funds.
Once activated, the feature freezes the account for 24 hours, blocking all outgoing transactions, including transfers, bill payments, and card transactions.
The statement noted that the freeze, once triggered, cannot be lifted by the customer or OPay’s customer service team until the 24-hour period elapses.
On the Safety PIN, OPay said the feature allows customers to set up a unique PIN which, when entered, discreetly triggers a 24-hour account freeze without alerting anyone nearby, a tool particularly useful in situations where a customer is being coerced into making a transfer.
The company explained that while most financial security solutions focus on recovery after a fraud incident, the new features are designed to help customers prevent losses at the point a threat occurs.
Speaking on the development, Dotun Adekunle, chief operating officer and chief technology officer, OPay, said every innovation at the company starts with the goal of better protecting and serving customers.
Adekunle said the “features were developed to address real-life security challenges many Nigerians face daily,” adding that they were “designed to give customers immediate control over their finances during moments of uncertainty.”
He said OPay believes financial services should provide not just convenience, but also confidence, security, and peace of mind.
The statement added that customers can activate Emergency Lock and set up their Safety PIN through the Security Centre on the OPay app.
Established in 2018, OPay is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
