A commercial bus driver in Akwa Ibom State, Nse Ekpenyong, has received a fully furnished three-bedroom house and a cash reward from Governor Umo Eno for keeping ₦400,000 forgotten by a passenger in his vehicle for about 11 months.
Ekpenyong, a father of four from Okobo Local Government Area, discovered the money on December 17, 2025, after conveying passengers from Okobo to Uyo and making trips to Itam Market.
He said he noticed a parcel on the floor of his mini-bus after dropping off passengers. Upon opening it, he discovered that it contained several bundles of cash.
The driver immediately returned to the terminal where he had dropped off the passengers, hoping the owner would return to collect the missing parcel. However, nobody came forward despite his efforts to locate the person.
He explained that he repeatedly visited the terminal and informed fellow drivers about the missing property but deliberately avoided disclosing that it contained money to prevent anyone from falsely claiming ownership.
Despite struggling financially, Ekpenyong said he never considered using the cash to solve his personal problems.
At the time, he was facing serious difficulties providing for his wife and four children. His vehicle was also in poor condition, forcing him to stay away from work for about three weeks because he could not afford repairs.
The family was equally living in a leaking thatched house, but the driver insisted that the money did not belong to him and must be preserved until its rightful owner was found.
He disclosed that he kept the cash in a secluded place at home, away from his wife and children, while praying for protection and an opportunity to identify its owner.
Ekpenyong also revealed that returning lost belongings was something he had practised for years. He recalled returning mobile phones and handbags forgotten by passengers when he previously worked as a commercial tricycle operator.
He sometimes charged phones with low batteries to enable their owners to contact him and recover their belongings.
His decision to preserve the ₦400,000 eventually attracted the attention of Governor Eno through his Special Assistant on Media, Emmanuel Nicholas.
Nicholas said he was moved by the driver’s honesty, particularly because he refused to touch the money despite the difficult financial situation confronting his family.
He explained that Ekpenyong told him he would rather take up menial jobs and work hard to feed his family than spend money that belonged to someone else.
Nicholas further disclosed that the driver had announced his discovery on a radio station and provided his contact details in an attempt to locate the owner, but nobody responded.
The matter was later reported to the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Humanitarian Affairs, Nsikan Umoekpo, who visited Ekpenyong to confirm that the ₦400,000 was still complete.
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After the verification, the governor approved a fully furnished three-bedroom bungalow for the driver, equipped with solar electricity and portable water, alongside a cash reward.
The announcement brought Ekpenyong to tears as he struggled to contain his excitement and repeatedly prayed for the governor.
His aged father, Emmanuel Ekpenyong Ekong, also knelt down to pray for Governor Eno, thanking him for recognising his son’s integrity.
The elderly man described honesty as a longstanding family principle, recalling that he had also returned excess payments made to him by customers during his years as a fisherman.
He expressed happiness that his son’s decision to do what was right had attracted such recognition and support from the state government.
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