A financial error involving ₦542,000 has escalated into a legal dispute after an OPay account holder, Godwin Enyia Okeeze, allegedly failed to return funds mistakenly sent to him by Favour Elumelu, a Nigerian resident in China.
The incident, which occurred on April 23, has drawn attention to the growing risks associated with digital transactions and beneficiary mix-ups.
Speaking on the development, Charles Elumelu, elder brother to the sender, explained that the transfer was intended for their mother but was mistakenly sent to Okeeze, whose account details had been previously saved due to ongoing business dealings.
> “He works with him occasionally to source items from China. His account was already on the beneficiary list, so he mistakenly sent the money to him,” Charles said.
According to the family, Okeeze initially acknowledged receiving the funds via a transaction alert on his OPay account but claimed he could not access the account.
He reportedly stated that the SIM card linked to the account was with his sister in Nigeria and assured the family the issue would be resolved once she became available.
Charles alleged that repeated attempts to reach Okeeze have been unsuccessful, with calls and messages going unanswered.
Efforts by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) to obtain a response from Okeeze also proved abortive as of press time.
Following the lack of cooperation, the Elumelu family has taken legal steps to recover the funds. A court order has been obtained, and the case has been formally reported as an erroneous transfer.
The move is expected to trigger intervention from relevant financial authorities and possibly lead to the recovery of the money.
The case highlights increasing concerns over mistaken transfers in Nigeria’s fast-growing fintech space, where transactions are instant but recovery can be difficult without the recipient’s cooperation.
Legal experts warn that refusal to return mistakenly received funds may attract sanctions, including potential fraud charges, depending on the circumstances.
As of the time of filing this report, the ₦542,000 remains unrecovered, while the family continues to pursue justice through legal means.
The outcome of the case may set a precedent for how similar disputes are handled in Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem.