Jos trader earns praise for returning ₦1m mistakenly packed in purchased goods
In a remarkable act of honesty, a small-scale trader in Jos, Mrs. Sarah Luka, has returned ₦1,000,000 that was mistakenly included in goods she purchased from a wholesaler.
Mrs. Luka, who operates her business in the Lamingo area, had visited Terminus Market on Saturday to buy leather bags from a trader, Mr. Abubakar Dola.
According to Mr. Dola, he had set aside the sum of ₦1 million in a polythene bag, intending to send it to a POS operator for transfer. However, while packing leather bags worth ₦6,000 for Mrs. Luka, he mistakenly included the bag containing the cash.
Unaware at the time of the mix-up, Mrs. Luka later discovered the money among her goods. Three days after the purchase, she returned to the market on Monday and handed over the entire sum to the rightful owner.
Speaking in an interview, Mrs. Luka explained that her decision was guided by her values and understanding of the hardship associated with financial loss.
“I am a poor businesswoman; I know what it means to suffer loss,” she said, adding that keeping money that did not belong to her would go against her beliefs.
“If I put that kind of money that is not mine into my business, I believe God would punish me,” she added.
When asked what motivated her action, she simply replied, “Because the money is a mistake and not mine.”
Mr. Abubakar Dola, visibly relieved, expressed deep gratitude for her honesty, describing the act as rare and commendable.
