Two security men get N250,000 compensation each for returning passenger’s valuables

Two security guards at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Ikeja, Lagos, were , on Thursday, rewarded with N 250 , 000 each after returning a passenger’ s missing bag full of dollars and jewelry .

The security guards are Messrs Achi Daniel and Francis Emepueaku of Halogen Securities Ltd .
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Daniel was with his colleague , Emepueaku, when he found the bag on August 18 at the airport .
Daniel said: “Inside the bag , we saw a mobile phone, jewelry and huge amount of money in dollars and several other documents .

“At that point , I went straight to the manager ’s office who now put a call through to somebody in Atlanta, Georgia , and the person happened to be the daughter of the owner of the bag . “If the money was in multi - millions of foreign currencies, I would still have returned it.
“I saw the bag on a trolley at the car park, and I said to myself that somebody must have forgotten it there.

“It was not padlocked and without opening it, I went to the ground floor with the bag to meet my supervisor,” Daniel told newsmen .
The security guard said that it was not his first time of returning money in foreign currencies to their rightful owners .
“When they returned (passengers involved), they were jittery that some of the items in the bag might have vanished .

“But after crosschecking it, she (owner ) discovered that everything was intact and the family attempted to give us some amount of money as a form of appreciation , which we rejected, telling them that we had only done our job.
“ It never crossed my mind to steal the money ; I wouldn ’t have done that because it was not my first time of finding such and returning to the owners .

“No amount of money would make me to take what does not belong to me. I believe my own time will come and at the right time ,” Daniel said.
Also, the Managing Director , Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria , Mr . Saleh Dunoma , said that several other related cases had been recorded at the nation ’ s airports .

Dunoma , who was represented at the event by the FAAN Director of Engineering Services, Mr . Salisu Daura , said that the duo’ s act gave confidence and credibility to the agency’ s security profiling system.
He said that the duo would “forever be remembered in the annals of the industry as role models, reference points , shining lights and good ambassadors.

“Some others may look at you and tag you stupid, but I want to assure you that by virtue of this act , you have secured seats for yourselves in the comity of those with credibility and integrity .
“I want to advise other members of staff to emulate this great virtue and become role models, just like these two security guards , ” he said.