Man Chooses 1-Year Imprisonment Instead Of Refunding ₦1.5 Billion Mistakenly Paid Into His Account

A Nigerian man has sparked widespread reactions online after reportedly choosing to serve a one-year jail term rather than refund ₦1.5 billion mistakenly credited to his First Bank account.

The incident was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by user @arhermadd, who identified the man as Ogo Ehosa Kingsley. According to the post, Kingsley allegedly diverted the funds for personal use after the erroneous credit hit his account between June and November 2025.

The matter was taken up by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which arraigned Kingsley on January 19, 2026, on charges bordering on theft and fraud. He reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges.

Following his plea, the court ordered Kingsley to refund the outstanding sum of ₦272,252,193.59 to First Bank.

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Prior to the judgment, the EFCC had already recovered ₦802.42 million from Kingsley’s accounts and those linked to his relatives, while an additional ₦300 million was retrieved through transfer reversals.

In a development that shocked many observers, Kingsley reportedly chose to serve a one-year prison sentence instead of refunding the remaining balance.

Read tweet below:
A First Bank customer, Ojo Eghosa Kingsley, became involved in a major controversy after the bank mistakenly credited his account with ₦1.5 billion..

He was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Benin City, and on 19 January 2026, he was arraigned before the Edo State High Court. Kingsley was charged with theft and fraud under the Edo State Criminal Law (2022).

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Prior to the judgment, the EFCC had recovered ₦802,420,000 from Kingsley’s account, as well as from the accounts of his mother and sister, while the bank successfully reversed transactions totaling over ₦300 million.

In a dramatic turn of events, Kingsley informed the court that he preferred serving a prison sentence to refunding the remaining amount.In effect, he openly chose incarceration over the repayment of ₦272 million.