Despite the prevailing socio-economic hardship, a commercial mini-bus driver in Akwa Ibom State, Nse Ekpenyong, kept N400,000 forgotten by a passenger in his vehicle for about 11 months, hoping to locate the owner.
Ekpenyong, a father of four who lives in a rickety thatched hut in Okobo Local Government Area of the state, said he found the money after conveying passengers from Okobo to Uyo and making trips to Itam Market on December 17, 2025.
Recounting how he discovered the money, he said, “After dropping off passengers, a quick check led my eyes to a parcel on the floor of the bus. Before I could shout for everyone to return, perhaps any of them could have forgotten the parcel, they had disappeared into other vehicles heading to their different destinations.
“When I opened the parcel and checked, the content was money wrapped in different bundles. I quickly rushed home to drop the cash and returned to the terminal where I dropped every of the passengers, perhaps the owner would come waiting.
“I waited for nearly a whole day without luck. I kept trying for several times and alerted my fellow drivers to alert me in case someone would complain of forgetting anything inside a bus. I was careful not to disclose the forgotten item was money so no one would arrange an impostor to come and claim.”
According to him, “I always resorted to prayers for the money not to be stolen, and for God to grant me the opportunity to meet with the true owner of the money.”
Despite struggling to feed his family and maintain his vehicle for 11 months, Ekpenyong said he never considered using the money to meet his needs.
His vehicle was in poor condition, leaving him unable to work for about three weeks because he could not afford the repairs. He also lived in a leaking thatched house.
The driver said returning lost property was not new to him, recalling that he had previously returned mobile phones and handbags found in his tricycle when he worked as a commercial operator.
He also said he sometimes charged phones with low batteries to enable their owners to call and recover their belongings.
The story of his honesty eventually reached Governor Umo Eno through his Special Assistant on Media, Emmanuel Nicholas, who said he was moved by the driver’s decision to keep the money intact despite his family’s hardship.
Nicholas recalled that Ekpenyong told him he would rather labour and take up menial jobs to feed his family than spend money that did not belong to him.
“He told me that stealing is not in his blood, and that he would never steal. Instead, he vowed he would labour and do menial jobs to feed his family,” Nicholas said.
Nicholas also gave an account of how Ekpenyong tried to locate the owner of the money.
“The driver said he discovered the money, packaged in a nylon bag, while cleaning his vehicle after dropping passengers.
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“After counting it, he realised it was ₦400,000. He subsequently announced the discovery on a radio station and provided his contact details in an attempt to locate the owner, but nobody came forward to claim the money.
“Despite the financial difficulties facing his family, Ekpenyong said he never considered using the money to repair his bus or improve his leaking roof.
“The father of four disclosed to me that his vehicle had been in poor condition, leaving him unable to work for about three weeks because he could not afford repairs.
“He told me that stealing is not in his blood, and that he would never steal. Instead, he vowed he would labour and do menial jobs to feed his family,” Nicholas recalled.
The matter was subsequently reported to the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Humanitarian Affairs, Nsikan Umoekpo, who visited Ekpenyong to confirm that the N400,000 remained intact.
Umoekpo later informed the driver that Governor Eno, having learnt of his honesty, had approved a fully furnished three-bedroom bungalow for him, equipped with solar power and portable water, alongside a cash reward.
The governor’s gesture came after Ekpenyong had spent nearly a year keeping the money while searching for its owner. The reward, according to the account, was worth millions of naira.
The announcement triggered an emotional reaction as the driver burst into tears of joy and repeatedly prayed for the governor.
His aged father, Emmanuel Ekpenyong Ekong, also came out, knelt down and prayed for God’s blessings upon the governor for rewarding his son’s integrity.
The elder Ekong said honesty was a family value, recalling that he had also returned excess payments made to him by buyers during his years as a fisherman.
“Honesty is my family value,” he said.
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