“People Called Me A Fool For Returning Lost N4M To Owner — Abia Tricyclist Shares Encounter, Says He Received Envelope From Former Governor Of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, After Returning The N4M

A commercial tricyclist, Lucky Okoro, recounts to BIODUN BUSARI how people insulted him for returning N4m to a Cameroonian woman who forgot it in his vehicle after a trip in Aba, Abia State

How long have you been working as a commercial tricyclist?

I’ve been working as a tricyclist since January 16, 2016. I’m based in Aba, Abia State. I’m from Abia State. I am also an indigene of Abia State from Obingwa Local Government Area.

How did you come about the Cameroonian woman who forgot her money in your tricycle?

Well, she boarded my tricycle as one of my passengers on Thursday, June 26. She boarded from the main park, going to the Ariaria International Market in Aba. According to her, it was her first day in Abia State. She had been to the Onitsha market in Anambra State before to buy clothes in large quantities, but she came to Abia State for the first time for business.

What kind of business did she come for?

She came to buy shoes. I think she deals in clothes as a trader.

Was she the only passenger you carried that time?

She was not the only passenger. There was another woman with a child at the back. The child sat in the middle of the back seat. The woman sat at one end of the back seat, while the Cameroonian sat on the other end. With that, there were three people.

Also, I carried another person in the front seat. The woman who came in with her child alighted along Okigwe Road before Ariaria. It was the Cameroonian woman who was left alone in the back. I picked up two more passengers at Seven Decks Ariaria, and we continued the journey.

How did she leave that amount of money in your vehicle?

When I picked her up, she told me that Ariaria was her destination. She told me that she was going to where she could buy Aba-made shoes. I described where she would get them and the fares. She asked me to take her to the place, and we embarked on the trip.

Unfortunately, she was carrying a lot of small bags. She dropped a particular one where the money was kept at the back of the seat. When she got to her destination, she forgot to take it. I even gave her the description of the place she was going when we got to the park, not knowing she had not carried the money she would use to purchase her goods.

She gave me N500, and I gave her N300 change. I even told her where to locate the vehicle that would take her back from the market because she asked me. She did not tell me that she was from Cameroon. She just asked questions.

How did you discover the money?

When she left, I went to the junction and called passengers to load, and as they were onboarding, I saw a ‘carpenter’ bag. And when I opened the bag, I saw the money there. I knew it was from her immediately based on the conversations we had and the kind of questions she asked me.

Then, I rushed back to the Ariaria market to go and look for her. I went to the place to look for her like four times, and I did not see her. I made five trips before I eventually saw her, where she was crying, surrounded by a crowd in the market. She boarded my vehicle around 8 am, and the time I saw her was around 10 am.

When I saw her crying, I already knew it was her money. So, I met people asking her a series of questions about where she kept the bag and if she knew the driver of the tricycle. Some people were blaming her for keeping that kind of money in the back seat of the keke. She even said that the money was a loan.

I was listening to her story among the crowd before I went straight to her. I had kept the money where I kept the spare tyre. I just called her, opened the place and gave her the bag. I asked her the amount of money in the back and she said it was N4m.

So, I asked her to confirm the amount after giving it to her. She confirmed that the money was complete. As I was talking, people started filming me and taking pictures.

How did you feel at that moment?

I felt happy that I helped someone. I was not a person who made another fellow suffer. I still feel fulfilled because it was the right thing to do. I know there are a few good people, and I counted it as joy that I did the right thing.

As people were talking, some said good things about me, and others called me names for doing the right thing. A lot of people in that market were calling me ‘mugu’ or a fool. Among the good people who were there, they told me that I should carry the woman out of that area so that she would not be attacked by hoodlums.

The whole thing happened at the Ariaria main junction. There were no security operatives at that place. There used to be some military personnel at the place, but because of road construction around the place, the military personnel were not staying in that area.

I quickly drove her away from that place and took her to a hotel. When I looked at that hotel very well due to the proximity, I asked her to let us go to another hotel, and she lodged there. She had attracted a lot of people to herself because of the issue. If care was not taken, she could be robbed.

Did you tell anybody during the time you were looking for the woman?

No. I did not tell anybody because it was a secret at that time, except my wife. It was a sensitive matter because of the huge amount of money involved. I carried the money and moved it to where I kept my spare tyre and locked it. I promised myself not to tell anybody because it was a risky adventure.

What was your reaction when some people called you foolish for returning the money?

As some people called me a fool for doing the right thing, I just have to ignore them. They said my condition could never improve again. They said it was an opportunity for me to improve. I answered them that it was not the way to make my life better.

Some of them said I was supposed to carry that money and relocate to another area. They said I was supposed to leave that axis immediately when I discovered it. I told them I was not created to make another person cry or suffer. I don’t believe that the money that a passenger left in my vehicle was the one that would make my life better.

What was going on in your mind when you were looking for the woman?

I was thinking about what to do if I did not see her. I was thinking that if I did not see her, I would come back to the market and look for her. I knew I could not just spend the money. It was against my values.

I thought if I did not see her the following day, I would have to take it to a radio or television station so they could tell the public about it. On another thought, I was thinking the money could land in the wrong hands even if an announcement was made.

What other reasons made you return the money to the owner?

Firstly, I don’t believe in shortchanging other people to get rich. I cannot take what does not belong to me or inflict pain on other people for me to be rich.

Secondly, the woman was 55 years old. She told me her age later. There, I considered her to be like my mother. I am just in my early thirties. She was a Cameroonian, and she could die in Nigeria because of that issue.

Imagine if the woman had a cardiac arrest and died because she lost the money, I would not have peace of mind. She might not be able to return to her country. I remembered the conversation I had with her. She thanked me a lot when I returned the money to her and took her to a hotel.

Thirdly, I’m proud to say that my parents raised and trained me well. I was taught not to covet what did not belong to me; rather, I should make an effort to work hard and make myself happy.

Did your wife or other family members join people who called you a fool?

When I was trying to locate the woman, I called my wife and told her that I was carrying N4m in my tricycle. She laughed. She did not believe me. I always crack jokes with her, so she thought it was one of my jokes.

I just told her to have a witness in case anything happened. But she did not believe me. It was when I got home after taking the woman to the hotel that I narrated the story to her. When I told her, she just appreciated me. My wife and I shared the same values.

She would have done the same thing I did. We are not greedy. We appreciate good things, but do not allow material things to take advantage of us. I’m blessed with a wife who is not materialistic.

I always tell people that I have a genuine love for humankind, and what happened has helped me to prove it. Everything is not about money, but the life that will positively affect others is what matters in the end.

Was that the first time a passenger would leave a valuable item or money in your vehicle?

That was not the first time. People normally leave items, and when such things happen, we take them to our union secretariat at Azikiwe Road. Sometimes, we take them to the police station. But the money was the most valuable I had ever seen that a passenger would leave.

Were there people who appreciated you for your kind action?

Yes, I have received a lot of accolades despite some insults from people who thought I was not smart enough to have kept the money to myself. I believe it’s my way of contributing to society and helping humanity when I don’t take what does not belong to me.

Some people also reasoned along with me and rewarded me. For instance, a former governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, invited me to a get-together. He also gave me an envelope to thank me when I was leaving.

But I cannot disclose the amount. There have been words of encouragement from people as well. All these also boosted my morale, as I realised that there are still good people who value and appreciate good things.

Did you learn a lesson from this incident?

Yes, I learnt one or two things from it. But the main lesson here is that the government should alleviate people’s poverty. When everyone lives well in the country, people would not think of evil.

When people can afford a good meal and other necessities of life, it would be convenient for them not to take things that do not belong to them.

Source: Punch

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com