Some bank customers in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have commended the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for the jail sentence for citizens who refuse to return monies mistakenly paid into their bank accounts.
The customers gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.
They called on the apex bank to also include the sentence for Point of Sale (PoS) operators whose accounts were being used for unauthorised withdrawals and transactions.
NAN reports that the CBN Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, warned Nigerians that refusing to return money mistakenly paid into their bank accounts could attract between five to 10 years imprisonment.
Mrs Evelyn Ikechukwu, who described her experience as frustrating, said the refusal to return money transferred to a wrong account was inhuman.
Ikechukwu said the development was unacceptable and negated any religion.
”Somebody wanted to send me N200,000 in my Sterling Bank account and mistakenly sent the money to Stanbic IBTC to somebody with the same account number as me.
”When I went to the bank, I was told that I am not the sender, so I could not do anything because the sender is abroad.
”This happened repeatedly for three times, and the man did not even raise alarm about it. This is stealing,” she said.
Mrs Funmilola Oladipo commended the initiative.
She urged the CBN to look beyond the punishment for the offenders and devise means to address cybercrimes in the financial sector.
Oladipo appealed to customers to report wrong deposits into their accounts to their banks for proper checks.
”Yes, I know that miracles happen where someone will just receive money but you have to notify the bank first to clear the situation first.
”The customers should do everything to prove beyond doubt that you don’t have the intention of spending the money. Don’t spend the money as soon as it comes.
”However, CBN should also look beyond jailing people and let the punishment cut across cybercriminals and PoS operators,” she said.
Mr Fidelis Akpa commended the punishment.
He regretted that some citizens were eager to reap what they did not labour for.
Akpa alleged that the refusal was increasingly common among the youths.
”You cannot use some other person’s sweat to thrive. That is one thing in life.
”Karma has a way of catching up with the person. People should work for their money and even if God wants to bless you, He will do so using someone,” he said.
Other bank customers who reacted online to the jail term described it as a welcome development.
A customer identified as ekenechukwu.ani1804, said ”that is what we have been waiting for”.
Another customer identified as rnb_exclusive_bridals said ”in all, we should be very careful when we want to make any transaction”.
However, some online customers dismissed the jail term, describing it as the least in priority issues to the CBN.
NAN