The Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has rewarded a 22-year-old tricycle rider, Abubakar Salisu with N50,000 for returning the sum of N360,000 forgotten in his vehicle by an unsuspecting passenger.
It was gathered that the passenger identified as Nathaniel Odobi had on Tuesday gone to a branch of Zenith bank in the Kano metropolis to withdraw the said sum in order to pay the salaries of some workers in his company located around Burma Road, Sabon Gari.
Afterwards, he boarded a tricycle to convey him home.
Before alighting, he left the package containing the money in the tricycle and didn’t remember until he reached home.
A distraught Odobi then informed his wife of the development and, cognisant of the economic realities in the country, she told him to devise another means of getting the money to pay the workers as she believed the money was gone forever.
However, Odobi was given a pleasant surprise on Wednesday when he got a call from one of his customers that a tricycle rider calling himself Abubakar called to say he was in possession of money forgotten in his tricycle which he would like to return to its rightful owner.
It was then Odobi remembered that he had left some complimentary cards in the package containing the money, through which Abubakar was able to contact the customer.
He could not believe his luck and dashed to the office to confirm that what he was hearing was indeed the truth.
While thanking God, Odobi expressed his gratitude to the tricycle rider for sparing him the ordeal of having to source for other funds to pay the workers.
A concerned Nigerian who heard the story suggested that Salisu be taken to the Kano State Government House for official recognition of his act of kindness.
Speaking on the incident, Governor Ganduje said the exemplary behaviour displayed by Salisu was rare among Nigerians of nowadays and called for all to emulate him.
The governor also expressed his happiness that the young man decided to return the money when he could have kept silent.
“And I pray that almighty will bless you and your family so that others will copy from you,” Ganduje said.
Explaining the rationale behind his decision to return the money, Salisu, of Bacirawa quarters, said he told his mother about it on getting home and she advised him to trace the owner of the money and return it.
According to him, his mother’s reason was that he would have to give account on the Day of Judgment if he failed to return the money to its rightful owner.
Speaking further, he expressed his gratitude to the Kano State Government for the recognition given to him and the N50,000 reward, which he said reinforced his commitment to doing good.
He equally said he was elated at the opportunity to meet the governor in person, shake his hand and take pictures with him.