In a period when police officers are vilified and mostly seen as a symbol of corruption and general impropriety, a police officer with the Kano State Police Command recovered and returned N1.2million found at the scene of a fatal accident, an act considered quite unusual because of the moral decadence in the society.
Sergeant Kabiru Isah, with the Motor Traffic Department (MTD) of the Kano State Police Command, had gone to work as usual on May 7 with no inkling that a single act in his line of duty that day would propel him to fame.
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The 35-year-old Isah told Daily Trust Saturday that at about 4.40pm, there was an accident involving a car, a motorcycle and pedestrian along Zaria road by Kano line and when the victims were rushed to the Murtala Muhammed Hospital, the motorcycle rider was confirmed dead by doctors after post-mortem examination.
“We used his phone to call his relatives and they came and took him home for burial,” he said.
But the incident that followed would change his life forever. Isah said when he went back to the scene of the accident to conduct scene analysis; he discovered a shoe pack on the motorcycle.
“I opened it and saw money inside (N1,294,200.00). So, I just remained silent because I feared some of the people around may attack me if they noticed there was money. When I came back to the office and noticed that everything was okay, I presented the money to our OC (officer in charge of MTD) and later, the owners were traced,” he said.
On why he decided to return the money, Sergeant Isah said, “Well, my father is a retired police officer so I already know what police job entails. When I asked him about the job, the first thing he told me was ‘you should always be honest and truthful.’ So, I grew up with that in mind. I don’t involve myself in anything that is not truthful.”
He said his father, who has retired to their hometown in Zuru, Kebbi State, was happy and proud of him when he heard of his action, adding “He even appreciated the command and he prayed that the way he finished his job successfully, I should finish mine that way.”
Married with a child, Isah said when he got home that day and told his wife what had happened, his wife laughed because she thought he was cracking one of his usual jokes but she didn’t push any further.
But she got to know it was not a joke after Isah was summoned to the command headquarters and appreciated by the Commissioner of Police, Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, and further rewarded with N100,000 by the Managing Director of Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA) Baffa Babba Dan Agundi.
“When she realized that the story was real, she was very happy and even prayed for my success throughout the job,” he said.
Isah said the financial reward given by the KAROTA boss couldn’t have come at a better time as he was “broke”.
“When I was given that money, I had no kobo on me. So, I used it to buy foodstuffs for my house and you know it was during the Sallah period, so I bought all the necessary things with the money,” he said.
Drivers’ recklessness remains his major worry
Isah said he joined the Police Force in 2011 and was sent to Kano and subsequently posted to the MTD where he had been since and has never made attempt to seek posting to another department or back to his home state.
“When I arrived Kano, I didn’t know anybody. When our posting came out, I didn’t see my name initially but later on, I was posted to MTD and that’s where I am right now. I was never transferred from here and I never committed any offence,” he explained.
He said the major challenge he has been facing with his work “is that drivers drive recklessly and they are not patient.”
He narrated a recent experience that nearly cost him his life when he was returning from Sokoto to Kano after his casual leave in February.
“Unfortunately, the driver took some drugs and was driving recklessly. We kept praying until we got to Zamfara. I told him that’s where I will drop and asked for a refund of my balance but he refused. So, I reported to Zamfara traffic and they took him to the police station for investigation. But before we reached the station, he removed the remnant of the drugs from his pockets but luckily those sitting in front confirmed that they saw him taking the drugs. So, he was even sleeping while driving,” he narrated.
‘I want to further my education’
With a mind on the future, Isah said with his certificate in technical education (NCE) which he obtained from the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State, he would love to become a teacher when he retires from the police force.
But he has plans to return to school and obtain more qualifications.
His advice for his fellow cops and Nigerians at large is to always stick to the truth.
“Whoever sticks to the truth will be happy in this life, but it is difficult for some people. I hope all other colleagues will hold on to the truth and do their job for the sake of Allah,” Isah added.
