LAGOS, NIGERIA — A single mother of two, Sandra Okpara, has recovered the sum of N1,640,200 she mistakenly transferred into an account linked to Pastor Jerry Eze’s Streams of Joy International, following the intervention of the church’s finance department and the Nigeria Police Force.
Okpara, a trader based in Lagos, had intended to transfer the sum of N16,402 to a supplier for goods she had ordered. However, due to a typing error while using her banking application, she mistakenly entered an additional two zeros, sending N1,640,200 to an account she believed belonged to her supplier. The transaction was completed before she realised her error, and she immediately contacted her bank to reverse the transfer.
Her bank, however, informed her that the funds had already been credited to the recipient’s account and that she would need to contact the account holder directly to resolve the matter. Upon further investigation, Okpara discovered that the account belonged to the Streams of Joy International, the church founded by Pastor Jerry Eze, the popular online prayer minister.
“I was devastated. That money was everything I had saved for my business. I didn’t know what to do. I cried for days,” Okpara recounted. “When I found out it was a church account, I was hopeful, but I didn’t know how to reach them. I was afraid they would ignore me.”
Determined to recover her funds, Okpara reported the matter at a police station in Lagos, which provided her with a report to present to the church. She then visited the church’s headquarters in Lagos, where she presented her case to the finance department. To her relief, the church’s finance team acted swiftly, verifying her claim and initiating the process for a refund.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the church confirmed that the refund had been processed and that Okpara had received her money. The church said it had a policy of transparency and accountability in handling all financial transactions, and that it would never knowingly retain funds that did not belong to it.
“We are a church that believes in integrity and the fear of God. When we received the complaint from Mrs. Okpara, we immediately commenced verification. Once we confirmed that the transfer was a mistake, we processed the refund without delay,” the statement read. “We are grateful to God that she has recovered her money, and we pray for her business to prosper.”
The church also urged members of the public to be careful when making electronic transfers, particularly when using mobile banking applications, and to always verify account details before completing transactions. It said the incident was a reminder of the importance of due diligence in financial matters.
Okpara, who is now reunited with her funds, expressed gratitude to the church and to the police for their assistance. She said she had learnt a valuable lesson and would be more careful in future. “I want to thank the church for their honesty and kindness. They could have ignored me, but they chose to do the right thing. I also thank the police for their support. This has restored my faith in humanity,” she said.
The incident has generated widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians commending the church for its integrity and transparency. Some have also called on banks to improve their transfer systems by introducing features that allow users to verify account names before completing transactions, to prevent similar mistakes. The church has since advised its members and the public to reach out to its finance department through official channels for any financial enquiries or issues.
