by Anike Jacobs

For some weeks now, Mrs Josephine Ugwu has been the major topic of discussion on social media platforms and the reason is not far fetched – she did what not many Nigerians will do!

She returned a whooping N12 million she found in a toilet to its owner.

A a result, the airport Cleaner has been praised by Nigerians for carrying out such an heroic act, she was further rewarded by Bishop Okonkwo of TREM church this past Sunday.

We now bring you five things from her  recent interview with Encomium magazine, that might interest you:

1. Josephine Ugwu is from Obokpa, Nsukka Local Government, Enugu State.  She has a blood brother, Ignatius Ugwu and a step brother.

2. She is single, though engaged to be married.

3. She found the money on January 23, 2015 while on morning duty – which runs from 7 a.m to 7 p.m.  She saw the bag while she was picking trash.

“It had been there since 6.30 p.m.  After I finished my work and I was still going home by 7.30 p.m, the bag was still there.  So, I went over to the place and told the people I saw beside the bag to watch out so that the owner will not forget the bag.  I was told nobody among them owned it.”

4. The first thing she did was go to the security: “I went straight to the security point were those scanning could scan the bag.  They checked it and counted the money inside.  American dollars were inside (N12 million worth).  Later, security men came with a man who said he was looking for a bag.  After series of interrogation, they collected his passport, photocopied it and he signed and he was given the money.”

5. It is not the first time she’s being honest: “That wasn’t my first time of picking money.  I picked one on December 23, 2014, another one on December 27, 2014.  This was the third time.  I never had second thought when I picked it.  I knew it’s money but I cannot take anything that does not belong to me.  It is another person’s sweat.  “

6. The rewards that came with her honesty: The first time, the owner didn’t give me anything.  The second time, I was given $50 by the white man that owned it.  This time around, the owner gave the security men about N15,000.  I was given N5,000 out of it. One organization gave me N20,000, I also got a freezer. Also, my salary was increased from N8,000 it is now N20,000.  I was also promoted to a supervisor.