Accidental billionaire chooses jail over returning money he got by mistake

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A man in Nigeria became famous online after deciding to serve a year in prison rather than return approximately N1.5 billion that was mistakenly deposited into his account.

Finding unexpected money in your account – whether it’s in the bank, a savings account, or through a service like PayPal – can be surprisingly stressful. It’s always best to return the money rather than keep it.

But in Nigeria, Ojo Eghosa Kingsley decided to use the money once it appeared in his account. And it wasn’t a small amount – Kingsley received a substantial sum.

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission reports that he received 1.5 billion naira in his account, equivalent to about $1.1 million.

Man spending year in jail after accidentally receiving money

According to the police report, Kingsley divided the money between several bank accounts, including some under his own name and others belonging to his mother and sister. After admitting his guilt, he was given a choice: serve one year in prison or pay a fine of N5 million, which is about $35,000.

Kingsley opted for a year in prison rather than accept money he believed was incorrectly given to him, and pledged to behave properly in the future. The EFCC charged him with an offense similar to attempted theft.

I was so relieved to hear that he was ordered to pay back the money he took! It’s frustrating to learn he’d already spent some of it and even moved it around between different accounts, trying to hide it. Thankfully, the bank did an amazing job getting almost everything back – they only missed a few thousand Naira, which is still good news, honestly.

Kingsley’s story is spreading rapidly online, and many people are playfully admitting they’d likely react the same way if a large amount of money unexpectedly appeared in their bank account.

One person thought it was a fair compromise, while another excitedly predicted they’d finally get a great night’s sleep. A third jokingly offered to be locked up as a result.

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2026-02-02 14:22