President Muhammadu Buhari has commended Aircraftman Bashir Umar for his honesty in returning the sum of €37,000 to its owner.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had in a statement on Sunday said Mr Umar, a member of the NAF Mobile Air Defence Team deployed for airport security duties, found the parcel last Tuesday during routine patrol with some of his colleagues at the Hajj Camp Market in Kano.
The statement said Umar called a phone number written on the parcel and returned the money to the owner identified as Alhaji Ahmad.
Buhari, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, on Tuesday, described the act as “uncommon, patriotic and exemplary”.
The president enjoined Nigerians, especially the youth, to emulate such worthy gesture.
“Honesty and integrity will always remain admirable virtues, notwithstanding challenges before any country,’’ he said.
He also applauded the leadership of the NAF for its decision to “reward the airman so as to encourage other personnel of the Service to continue to embody attitudes and behaviours that reflect NAF’s core values of Integrity, Excellence and Service Delivery.”
