Reward For Honesty: Cleaner Who Returned N4.8 Gets N1m In Appreciation
The Wife of Borno State Governor, Dr. Falmata Babagana Zulum, has presented N1 million to a cleaner, Faiza Abdulkadir, who returned N4.8 million mistakenly credited to her bank account.
Faiza, who works at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, earns a monthly salary of N30,000 and caters for her five children and aged mother.
“I’m pleased that a person of such calibre is a woman from Borno State. I present her with this N1 million to support her family. She should be a role model for all men and women in Borno State,” said Mrs Zulum.
Also, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Zuwaira Gambo, announced additional support in the form of vocational equipment and food items for Faiza.
“Her action, especially given her financial challenges, is a rare and inspiring display of integrity, which shows that honesty is not determined by wealth but character,” said Gambo.
Faiza, a resident of Gwange, Zawiyya Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh, had received an alert of N4.8 million mistakenly transferred to her account by a man from Kebbi State.
The owner contacted her and provided his account details, after which Faiza rushed to the bank and returned the money.
Faiza said she acted out of the fear of God, because “the money does not belong to me. I returned it to have peace of mind and avoid God’s punishment on the Day of Judgment.”
She explained that it took her three days to complete the bank process before successfully transferring the money back.
“I was restless throughout those three days. In fact, I couldn’t eat well until I finally returned the money,” she told newsmen.
Residents in her neighbourhood described her as a woman of integrity who lives modestly on her N30,000 salary.
“We were not surprised because of her discipline and the way she is raising her children. She has good values and lives a modest life with her five children,” one of her neighbours said.
A bank staff also commended her rare honesty, saying “despite her condition, this woman chose to fear God and do the right thing.
“I once witnessed a similar case in this bank where money was mistakenly transferred to a customer, but he withdrew the money and spent it. That incident put the staff in serious trouble, the police got involved, and the money has still not been recovered.”
