Edo Man Jailed Two Years for Spending N21.9m Mistakenly Credited to His Account

An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City has sentenced a man, Chinedu Francis Nwabuisi, to two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine for converting N21.9 million mistakenly paid into his bank account to personal use.

Justice Irele Ifijeh delivered the judgment after finding Nwabuisi guilty of the offence prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Benin Zonal Directorate.

The EFCC said the money was erroneously credited to the defendant’s account with First Bank Plc following a system glitch.

During the trial, prosecution counsel, M. S. Dahiru, presented two witnesses, including a senior official of First Bank and an EFCC operative.

The prosecution also tendered documentary evidence, which was admitted by the court in support of its case.

However, while defending himself, Nwabuisi claimed that he believed the money was a benefit owed to him for operating a Point of Sale (POS) business with the bank.

The court rejected his explanation and found him guilty of converting the funds to personal use.

Justice Ifijeh subsequently sentenced him to two years in prison without an option of fine.

The judge also ordered Nwabuisi to refund the entire N21.9 million to First Bank Plc.