$50 million lottery ticket lost – and found!

A Canadian couple lost a $50 million lottery ticket…before it was returned to them by someone at their church. Hakeem and Abiola Nosiru won the January 17 Lotto Max draw and were one day away from claiming the money when the ticket got lost.

The signed ticket, which was taped to the inside of Abiola‘s purse for safekeeping, went missing after the couple attended church.

The frantic couple, both originally from Nigeria, searched their home for months. They upturned rubbish bins and picked through all their belongings in their quest for the winning ticket. However, their long search left them empty handed and feeling ‘miserable’.

But their rollercoaster ride of emotions wasn’t over yet, as on April 1 they were reunited with their elusive ticket.  

A fellow church-goer discovered the ticket and reunited it with the couple on April 1 – April Fool’s Day – in a return made possible because Nosiru signed the ticket with their address.

Yesterday (Monday) the pair collected their $50 million lottery winnings in Toronto.

The pair are planning to travel the world and intend to share their good fortune with family.