… claim agents molest, rob victims in their vans
Some residents of Lagos State have raised the alarm over alleged fraud being perpetrated by a mobile lottery company, J.I Promotion’s Limited, in parts of the state.
The residents, who claimed to have fallen victim to the fraudulent activities of the lotto company, accused the firm of using a combination of both deceit and extortion to fleece them of their hard earned money.
Agents of the lotto company, it was learnt, usually moved around Lagos Island in a blue van seeking the patronage of unsuspecting residents only to dupe them after subscribing to the lottery under very strange circumstances.
A victim, Oluwatosin Babalola, who explained the modus operandi of the mobile lotto company, said that subscribers were usually persuaded by the agents to obtain and scratch a card before being declared the winner of different items, including generators, fan, laptop computers and other items.
“Their mode of operation has to do with persuading you to scratch a card, after which they will tell you that you have won an item like generator. They will then take you inside their bus, where you are expected to collect the generator. In the process, some of their officers in the bus, who are well-built men, will tell you to pay a little amount like N10,000 before they will give you the generator. After paying the money, they will slap and chase you away without being given any item,” Babalola said.
Speaking further on his ordeal, Babalola said, “In my own case, I was told I won a laptop computer, which I was very happy about. Shortly after this, I was taken into the bus to claim it. But on getting there, two men told me I had to pay the sum of N15,000 before I could claim the laptop, which is worth about N90,000. Initially, I didn’t believe them, but they brought out some documents to prove to me that the lotto was genuine and approved by the Lagos State Government. After this, I brought out my phone and transferred the money to them. When it was time for me to collect the laptop computer, someone came from behind and slapped me, asking me how I would imagine I could win a laptop for such a ridiculous amount. I then asked them to return the money I had transferred to them, but they refused. To my surprise, I realised that some policemen were close to us during our argument over the issue and they didn’t do anything.”
The victim also alleged that when he made efforts to report the case to the police at the Ebute Ero Division, the officers on duty sent him away.
He said, “When I got to Ebute Ero Police Station to complain about the incident, I met three other people that had been defrauded by these people, but the police officers on duty asked us to leave their station.
“Later, I was made to understand that apart from defrauding hundreds of people millions of naira daily, the lotto company connives with some policemen at the Ebute Ero and Idumota Police Stations to perpetrate their fraudulent act.”
Similarly, another victim of the agents of the lotto company, who simply identified himself as Emir Tajudeen, said he was persuaded to patronise them while on his way home from work.
“I played with N200 and I was told I had won a Tiger generator. In the process of collecting it, I was asked to pay N5,000. Immediately, I gave them the money, but they told me I had to pay more. Later, I realised it was a fraud and I went to my area to bring my friends and brother. But before we got there, they had disappeared with their bus. I know that one day I will still spot them on this Lagos Island. On that day, we will set their bus on fire. We know they are thieves and we are ready for them at any time,” he said.
The victims have, therefore, called on the police authorities to investigate the activities of the lotto company before more residents fall victim to its alleged fraudulent act and extortion.
Meanwhile, findings by our correspondent from the Corporate Affairs Commission website showed a company named J. I. Promotions (Nigeria) Limited with the registration number 645549 and address as number 16, Adekoya Street, Oshodi, Lagos.
Further checks on the website of the Lagos State Lotteries Board (scratch cards and interactive games and promotional completion licence) showed that J.I promotion was not among the lotto companies licensed to operate in the state.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Chike Oti, advised the victims of the alleged lottery fraud to write a petition to the state command of the police in order to commence investigation of
the matter.
“Let the victims write petitions to us on this matter officially and that will give us the authority to go after the case as needed. You see, there are lots of people doing lottery in Lagos here, and we cannot go about telling people who to deal with and who not to deal with. But when a petition is written against such people, police will commence investigation into the matter and know how to establish a case against these people,” Oti said.
