Green Lotto, a licensed lottery company, run by its parent company Brentwood Multiservices Global Limited and based in Ikorodu area of Lagos and its operating agent; Charles Akhenanen, were charged to court on June 6, 2022, over its refusal to pay the sum of N72,700,000m to a businessman who claim to have won the money, in one of their games.
They charges preferred against them by the Lagos State Government are three counts of conspiracy, obtaining under false pretenses and stealing,
According to the complainant, who testified before Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay of Lagos State High Court, on the 29th of January, 2021, he played a game at Green Lotto with N330,000 and after the draw, the result showed that he won the game, but the defendants has refused to pay him the winning sum of N72.7m.
He stated in court that he was a frequent gambler who has played games for over 30 years. He had earlier played a Green Lotto game on January 26, with N50,000/N60,000, which he lost. He had also played N500,000 and N1m in the past, but didn’t win.
He went further to state that apart from playing with Green Lotto, he has also played another game with Premier Lotto, with the sum of N200,000 on the same day and he won N48m, which he went to Ojuelegba, Surulere, to claim.
He added that after collecting the money he won at Premier Lotto, he went to Green Lotto the next day to claim the N72,700,000m he won, but the firm refused to pay him. According to him, when he got there to claim the money, he was told that their system has developed a fault and the result has been wiped out.
The complainant first reported the matter at Area B, Apapa; after the agent of Lotto Company failed to honour the invitation by the Area B command, Area B wrote to the lottery board and they had a series of meetings; after which Green Lotto and its agent, were asked to pay the complainant.
The company offered him N10m and he rejected it. Then, te matter was taken to the Abuja National Lottery Commission and te comapny offered him N13m, which he rejected. Then, the matter was taken to Zone 2, where the company pleaded and offered to pay him N20m; which he also refused, before the matter was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
The complainant during questioning, confirmed that he had won a game in 2009 with Green Lotto, and was paid his winnings of over N40m.
According to the prosecutor, the offences are contrary to sections 411, 314 (1) (3) and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Nicol-Clay adjourned the matter to November 21, for further hearing.
