Emmanuel Tuloe, a Liberian teenage commercial motorcyclist who found and returned lost $50,000 to a businesswoman, has disclosed that he is being mocked for his action.
According to the BBC, the 18-year-old had returned the money after hearing the owner, Musu Yancy, making an appeal on radio.
Tuloe dropped out of school in 7th grade and struggles to earn a living.
He was said to have picked up the money that was wrapped in a plastic bag and gave his aunt for safe keeping, before hearing Yancy’s appeal on radio.
The businesswoman rewarded him with money and other items, including a mattress, which he said he would give to his grandmother.
He stated that whenever his motorcycle breaks down on the highway, his friends would tell him that he should not have returned the money.
Tuloe further said he was threatened while attending a celebration party at Yancy’s house, adding that he needs protection.
He said only a few friends appreciated and thanked him for the honesty he exhibited.
However, he has managed to overcome the bullying and temptation of regretting his action.
“They tell me I will never get rich in my lifetime, they say because I returned such an amount of money I will live and die poor”, he told the BBC from his hometown of Gbolor Dialla on the border with Ivory Coast.
“I left and returned home because in the crowd were also people who were angry with me for returning the money, they even threatened me, and so right now I need maximum protection.”
Tuloe urged fellow cyclists to always return lost and found items, noting that they “don’t know what the future holds”.
Reacting, the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) said it is “deeply touched by the sincerity of the teenager.”
