In an extraordinary display of integrity and honesty, a Nigerian woman, identified as Aisha Isah Yelwa, has returned the staggering sum of N330 million that was mistakenly credited to her bank account, drawing widespread admiration from members of the public.
Mrs. Yelwa, a small-scale trader who resides in Lapai, Niger State, revealed that she first noticed the unexpected account balance in her First Bank account at about 3:49 p.m. on Monday, December 29, 2025.
Woman explains how she saw the alert
She explained that the discovery was made shortly after she had visited the bank to complain about repeated deductions on her account, which she said were linked to loans she had previously taken to support her small business.
According to her account, she was merely checking her balance to confirm whether the issue with the debits had been resolved when she suddenly noticed an amount far beyond anything she had ever seen or owned in her life.
Mrs. Yelwa stated that there was no accompanying credit alert, no clear transaction description, and no explanation indicating the source of the funds.
“To be certain that it wasn’t a system display error, I transferred N1 million from the account, and there was still no credit alert. That was when I became even more confused and worried,” she explained during an interview with Lapai TV.
Woman visits bank to report
She further disclosed that she did not immediately raise the alarm that same day but instead visited the Lapai branch of First Bank early on Tuesday morning to formally report the irregular credit.
According to her, the branch manager commended her honesty after confirming that the funds were the result of a system malfunction and immediately initiated the necessary processes to reverse the transaction.
Despite her decision to return the money, Mrs. Yelwa revealed that some members of the public criticized her action, questioning why she chose to report the credit instead of keeping the funds.
To protect herself legally and ensure full transparency, she said she went to the bank accompanied by a lawyer so that the entire process would be properly documented.
She added that the bank assured her she would not be held responsible for the error and would only be contacted again if further clarification became necessary.
Speaking on how the incident affected her personally, Mrs. Yelwa said she felt fulfilled and at peace with her decision, describing it as one rooted in integrity, conscience, and concern for her children’s future.
“I feel good returning the money. I am a mother, and my children’s future means more to me than anything,” she told Lapai TV. “Even with all my financial challenges, I don’t want to eat what does not belong to me,” she added.