Two private security guards at Nigeria’s Muratala Muhammed International Airport have been awarded for their honesty in the line of duty.

The two, junior security guard Achi Daniel and his supervisor Francis Emepueaku, according to the federal airports authority, returned a forgotten bag with large sums of money and expensive items. The two, work at the multi-level car park at the Lagos airport.

Their action has been lauded by most Nigerians including President Muhammadu Buhari who is quoted as saying: “Honesty remains the best policy. We must exhibit such behaviour in whatever position we find ourselves, whether high or low.

Nigeria will no longer be a byword for corruption and plundering of public resources. That is the path we have chosen to take, and our country will eventually get to a new shore.

“Nigeria will no longer be a byword for corruption and plundering of public resources. That is the path we have chosen to take, and our country will eventually get to a new shore,” he added.

Photos: Award ceremony of the two exceptional staff of Halogen Security,Francis Emepueaku & Achi Daniel security guards at the multi level car park of the Murtala Muhammed Int'l Airport, who returned a bag forgotten by a passenger containing large sum of money and expensive items pic.twitter.com/xj3FqDmkrU — FAAN (@FAAN_Official) August 23, 2018

It turns out, however, that not all persons were enthused by the actions of the two. The junior officer in an interview with a local news portal said he had been ridiculed for opting to return the bag instead of keeping it.

“If the money was in multi-millions of foreign currencies I would still have returned it,” Mr Daniel told Sahara Reporters. “No amount of money would make me to take what doesn’t belong to me,” he added.

According to him, despite attempts by the owners of the bag to reward them with money, they refused the offer insisting that they “were just doing their job.” Reports say both men have been awarded by their security company with education scholarships worth 250,000 Naira ($686).