Alleged Airport Staff Who Returned N12Million Is A Hip TV Staff & Is Set To Sue PM News

Below is an exclusive interview that NET NG had with Josephine Agwu, a graduate of Agric Economics from FUTO Owerri who was recently erroneously reported by PM News to be a cleaner at the Lagos Airport who allegedly found a bag containing $27,000 (about N12m) but returned the money. After declining to speak to the media for several days, NET was able to have a brief chat with her, where she exclusively revealed her side of the story and also disclosed that she is taking legal action against PM News.

According to Josephine, who was visibly upset about the whole saga: 

‘It’s quite funny and at the same time embarrassing. I was called on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 around 4.00am, by someone who was asking me how it happened. I was confused initially, so I asked the person how what happened. She said it was on PM News, and it was so strange to me. So I checked the Internet and saw stories about me with a picture of me being a cleaner at the MMIA who picked money and returned it.  

‘I don’t know how they got my Facebook ID and took my profile picture which has circulated on the Internet. The person who took the picture from my Facebook account ought to have checked my profile for my number and contact me to get the right information. 

They made my family embarrassed after multiple calls from unknown people, and my relations from US, Germany and other countries, even in the village, have been calling to commend me for something I don’t know about, while some were asking me how and when I became a cleaner at the airport.  

‘On Thursday, February 26, 2015, I was called by the US Embassy in Lagos to come pick up an award; I turned it down and told them I can’t come because I’m not the one who picked the money. I’m a graduate, from Federal University of Technology, FUTO in Owerri Imo State; I have never worked in the airport in any capacity.’ 

When asked if she plans to take any legal action against PM News, she said: 

‘It’s already been decided; my lawyer will write to them soon, because it’s so humiliating. It’s a lazy man’s work; you can’t just sit and write something without making proper investigations to get the fact. 

There is no relationship between a cleaner and HR practitioner, an associate member of CIPM, a certified member for that matter; this is my 11th year working as a HR practitioner.’