Am I Wrong?SoftFinch

29 Jul 1 min read

I Returned ₦500,000... and Now I'm Questioning Everything

Three weeks ago, I received an unexpected alert. ₦500,000 had been mistakenly credited to my account. For a few minutes, I just stared at my phone. My mind raced. That amount could clear my rent, settle my debts, restock my small business, and even leave enough to breathe for the first time in months. But my conscience wouldn't let me touch it. The next morning, I went straight to the bank and reported the mistake. They confirmed it was an error, reversed the money, and thanked me for my honesty. I walked out feeling proud of myself, convinced I had done the right thing. Then life happened. Just three weeks later, I was laid off without warning. My landlord has started calling every day. My rent is overdue. Food prices keep climbing, and there are nights I go to bed pretending I'm not hungry. I've sent out countless job applications with no response. The painful part isn't even the struggle. It's the people around me. Whenever they hear what happened, they laugh and shake their heads. "You returned ₦500,000? In this Nigeria? You must really love suffering." "If it were me, that money would have solved my problems." Some even say honesty is for people who can afford it. I still believe returning the money was the right thing to do. Deep down, I know it wasn't mine. But I won't lie... On the hardest days, when I'm staring at empty cupboards and avoiding my landlord's calls, a tiny voice keeps asking me the same question: Did I do the right thing... or is honesty becoming too expensive in today's Nigeria?