A tricycle operator in Aba, Abia State, Mr. Emmanuel Obodoezie, has been widely commended for his integrity after returning N2.04 million to a trader who forgot the money in his vehicle.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at the Ariaria International Market area.
Obodoezie explained that he had picked up a female passenger along Power Line Road and dropped her off at the Free Zone area of Aba, which is in Nigeria’s southeast.
She paid a fare of N250 instead of N300, but he accepted it without complaint.
Unaware that she had left a bag in his tricycle, he continued his journey.
According to him, due to the poor road conditions, his tricycle tilted from side to side, causing the bag to fall out.
Bystanders alerted him, and upon stopping, someone picked up the bag and discovered it contained a large sum of money.
Obodoezie said the individual attempted to take some cash, but he intervened and prevented anyone from tampering with it.
Instead, he kept the money safe and went in search of the owner.
Meanwhile, the owner of the money, Mrs. Chika Aloysius-Iwu, was already retracing her steps in search of the tricycle operator.
She recounted that she had been on her way to the bank when she forgot the bag on the tricycle’s seat. Remembering the driver’s face but not his exact location, she returned to the spot where she had alighted, hoping to find him.
Upon seeing her, Obodoezie recognized her immediately and informed her that he had been looking for her as well.
He then took her to the person he had entrusted the money to, ensuring its safe return.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Aloysius-Iwu expressed her appreciation, praying for divine blessings upon him and his family.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Ariaria T-Line, Mr. Emmanuel Njoku, popularly known as Ose, expressed amazement at such an act of honesty, especially in today’s economic climate.
He described Obodoezie as a God-fearing man who deserved recognition and encouragement.
He further called on the government and well-meaning Nigerians to reward such exemplary behaviour.
Meanwhile, information reaching Diaspora Digital Media has it that Salihu AbdulHadi Kankia, a member of the First Aid Group of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), was showered with rewards for returning a lost bag containing over N100 million.
The recognition came during the closing ceremony for Islamic scholars presenting this year’s Ramadan Tafsir in Bauchi.
Engr Mustapha Imam Sitti, National Director of the First Aid Group who introduced Kankia commended him for the act.
In a post published on its Facebook page, the Bauchi State branch of JIBWIS said, “Kankia found a bag containing a large sum of money, exceeding one hundred million naira.
“Instead of keeping it for himself, he rushed to the police station and reported his discovery, the police successfully located the owner, who upon verifying the contents, confirmed nothing was missing.”
The post added that “Kankia’s honesty didn’t go unnoticed, The Izala group honored him with an award and sponsored his Hajj pilgrimage this year.
“Additionally, Hon. Abdulmalik Zannan Bangudu, a member of the Zamfara State Assembly, gifted him two million naira.
“Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State also presented Kankia with a bus to kickstart a business venture.”