MTN Nigeria has finally promised to investigate the complaint
made by one Gabriel Okpoma concerning the failure of Eczellon
Capital, Sponge Nigeria Limited and NNB Capital and Investment to
pay winners of BLB lottery promo their winning prize of N2,000,000
which they won in the promo.
MTN Nigeria made this promise in a tweet via their MTN Nigeria
Support handle. The Support handle of the telecommunication company
while replying to the tweet made by Gabriel Okpoma,
TheNigerialawyer (TNL), and eight others, asked to
the know about the promo, and also requested Gabriel to furnish
them his phone number so that they can reach him for clarity on the
issue.
This is coming after MTN had previously asked Gabriel Okpoma to
follow up his case with relevant authorities, since he has enough
evidence, claiming that they are not a party to the promo. This did
not go down well with some of the winners who noted MTN’s
involvement in the whole process.
TNL recalls that the Lagos State Lotteries board had through its
legal officer, Kemi Adebiyi, written a mail to Mr. Gabriel Okpoma
concerning his message on social media. In the mail, Kemi Adebiyi
Esq., noted that the Board received with dismay his message which
was with intent to tarnish the image of the organization. According
to the board, his action does not bode well for the amicable
settlement of the issue.
“It will interest you to note that LSLB held 4 (four) mediation
sessions with the petitioners in Lagos State and NNB Capital and
Investment Limited in a bid to resolve the issues in dispute and
the petitioners assured the Board that the outcome of the meeting
will be communicated to those outside Lagos. Upon Several offers by
the petitioners, 2 (two) petitioners accepted the offer and they
have been paid while some have signified interest to accept the
offer.
“LSLB observed that you are resident in Delta State and as a
result we are unable to attend to your petition as our jurisdiction
is restricted to only Lagos State. In light of this, we advise you
contact the gaming regular in Delta State as they are in the best
position to address your petition. Kindly contact your state
regulator via mail at info@deltabir.com[1] for possible resolution
of your complaint. You are also directed to delete your posts as
regards the petition on our social media page, failure to do so
will be met with appropriate necessary attention”, the letter
reads.
In another letter written by one Simisola Muniru, Senior Legal
officer, Lagos State Lotteries Board, to Mr. Gabriel, the board
said that it take exception to Mr. Gabriel’s statement that the
board defrauds or gives license to companies that defraud.
“It is important to clarify that LSLB’s license to operators is
only for their operations within Lagos State. Our license does not
cover the operator’s activities outside of Lagos. In case of
petition, where the transaction is land based, the petitioner must
have played the game or staked in a shop in Lagos and where the
transaction is online, the petitioner must be resident in Lagos for
LSLB to have jurisdiction over the matter.
“It is unfortunate that NNB Capital was not able to redeem their
pledge to players. However, LSLB was only meant to entertain
petitions that arose from Lagos State, but in a bid to protect the
players and ensure players get their prizes, LSLB held series of
meetings with some of the petitioners and NNB Capital. In the
course of the meeting, the organization said it was running at a
loss and could no longer sustain the promo, hence, the reason for
the suspension of the promo.
“After much deliberations, it was agreed that NNB Capital will
pay a sum of N120,000 to winners which some of the petitioners have
since received and others have indicated interest in receiving
same. With regards to 2k landlord, we believe that if you studied
the terms and conditions of the lottery, you would have seen that
the organization indicated that in the case where it did not meet
the required patronage within specific period, it will refund
ticket prize to all players which I believe you already received.
LSLB believes it is within your right to go to court if you are
aggrieved and you are fee to exercise your legal rights,” the
letter reads.
In a bid to know the state of things concerning the matter,
TheNigerialawyer (TNL) contacted Mr. Gabriel. In a
telephone conversation with Mr. Gabriel, he confirmed the story and
narrated how he was denied the prize which he won.
“The Better Life Billionaire promo (BLB PROMO) was organized by
Sponge Nigeria Limited, Eczellon Capital and NNB capital and
investment and was licensed by National Lottery Regulatory
Commission and Lagos state lotteries board and same was supported
by MTN NIGERIA. They paid 9 people from the first draw, except one
gut Mr Abiola Adeoye.
“They gave the second draw winners cheques, and they invited the
third to sixth draws winners to sponge Nigeria Limited office in
Lagos on the 4th of October, 2019, and apologized that they can’t
pay us that very day, and that we should go back to our various
states. They promised that they will transfer our 2 million naira
each into our various bank accounts on the 2nd of November, 2019.
They then gave us a form. I was called on the 13th of
September, 2019 as one of the lucky winners from the fourth draw by
the DG of the lottery promo Mr. Celestine Achi.
“They failed to pay us as promised and we sent petitions to NLRC
and LSLB last year. There are email confirmation messages from LSLB
that they received my complaints. We held series of meetings
with NLRC and their licensed lottery operator in Abuja and NLRC
said they should pay us500 thousand naira as
settlement/compensation which the operator still refused to pay us.
They went to Lagos state lotteries board and their licensed lottery
operator and offered to pay us 120 thousand naira which we
rejected. They have being tossing us around since we rejected the
offer from their licensed lottery operator. I played this lottery
promo through MTN line because it was open to MTN users only on
phone or you can play through their website. The money was deducted
from MTN users lines when you play with SMS Code and MTN Nigeria is
now denying their involvement in this lottery promo when the
operator failed to pay winners. We want justice; we want our
winnings of 2 million naira each,” he said.
TheNigerialawyer (TNL), recalls that Gabriel
Okpoma had in a tweet made on the 31st day of May, 2020,
called on Eczellon Capital, Sponge Nigeria Limited and NNB Capital
and Investment, licensed by NLRC and LSLB, and supported by MTNNG,
to pay winners of BLB lottery promo their winning of N2,000,000
which they won in the promo.
MTN Nigeria has finally promised to investigate the complaint
made by one Gabriel Okpoma concerning the failure of Eczellon
Capital, Sponge Nigeria Limited and NNB Capital and Investment to
pay winners of BLB lottery promo their winning prize of N2,000,000
which they won in the promo.
MTN Nigeria made this promise in a tweet via their MTN Nigeria
Support handle. The Support handle of the telecommunication company
while replying to the tweet made by Gabriel Okpoma,
TheNigerialawyer (TNL), and eight others, asked to
the know about the promo, and also requested Gabriel to furnish
them his phone number so that they can reach him for clarity on the
issue.
This is coming after MTN had previously asked Gabriel Okpoma to
follow up his case with relevant authorities, since he has enough
evidence, claiming that they are not a party to the promo. This did
not go down well with some of the winners who noted MTN’s
involvement in the whole process.
TNL recalls that the Lagos State Lotteries board had through its
legal officer, Kemi Adebiyi, written a mail to Mr. Gabriel Okpoma
concerning his message on social media. In the mail, Kemi Adebiyi
Esq., noted that the Board received with dismay his message which
was with intent to tarnish the image of the organization. According
to the board, his action does not bode well for the amicable
settlement of the issue.
“It will interest you to note that LSLB held 4 (four) mediation
sessions with the petitioners in Lagos State and NNB Capital and
Investment Limited in a bid to resolve the issues in dispute and
the petitioners assured the Board that the outcome of the meeting
will be communicated to those outside Lagos. Upon Several offers by
the petitioners, 2 (two) petitioners accepted the offer and they
have been paid while some have signified interest to accept the
offer.
“LSLB observed that you are resident in Delta State and as a
result we are unable to attend to your petition as our jurisdiction
is restricted to only Lagos State. In light of this, we advise you
contact the gaming regular in Delta State as they are in the best
position to address your petition. Kindly contact your state
regulator via mail at info@deltabir.com[1] for possible resolution
of your complaint. You are also directed to delete your posts as
regards the petition on our social media page, failure to do so
will be met with appropriate necessary attention”, the letter
reads.
In another letter written by one Simisola Muniru, Senior Legal
officer, Lagos State Lotteries Board, to Mr. Gabriel, the board
said that it take exception to Mr. Gabriel’s statement that the
board defrauds or gives license to companies that defraud.
“It is important to clarify that LSLB’s license to operators is
only for their operations within Lagos State. Our license does not
cover the operator’s activities outside of Lagos. In case of
petition, where the transaction is land based, the petitioner must
have played the game or staked in a shop in Lagos and where the
transaction is online, the petitioner must be resident in Lagos for
LSLB to have jurisdiction over the matter.
“It is unfortunate that NNB Capital was not able to redeem their
pledge to players. However, LSLB was only meant to entertain
petitions that arose from Lagos State, but in a bid to protect the
players and ensure players get their prizes, LSLB held series of
meetings with some of the petitioners and NNB Capital. In the
course of the meeting, the organization said it was running at a
loss and could no longer sustain the promo, hence, the reason for
the suspension of the promo.
“After much deliberations, it was agreed that NNB Capital will
pay a sum of N120,000 to winners which some of the petitioners have
since received and others have indicated interest in receiving
same. With regards to 2k landlord, we believe that if you studied
the terms and conditions of the lottery, you would have seen that
the organization indicated that in the case where it did not meet
the required patronage within specific period, it will refund
ticket prize to all players which I believe you already received.
LSLB believes it is within your right to go to court if you are
aggrieved and you are fee to exercise your legal rights,” the
letter reads.
In a bid to know the state of things concerning the matter,
TheNigerialawyer (TNL) contacted Mr. Gabriel. In a
telephone conversation with Mr. Gabriel, he confirmed the story and
narrated how he was denied the prize which he won.
“The Better Life Billionaire promo (BLB PROMO) was organized by
Sponge Nigeria Limited, Eczellon Capital and NNB capital and
investment and was licensed by National Lottery Regulatory
Commission and Lagos state lotteries board and same was supported
by MTN NIGERIA. They paid 9 people from the first draw, except one
gut Mr Abiola Adeoye.
“They gave the second draw winners cheques, and they invited the
third to sixth draws winners to sponge Nigeria Limited office in
Lagos on the 4th of October, 2019, and apologized that they can’t
pay us that very day, and that we should go back to our various
states. They promised that they will transfer our 2 million naira
each into our various bank accounts on the 2nd of November, 2019.
They then gave us a form. I was called on the 13th of
September, 2019 as one of the lucky winners from the fourth draw by
the DG of the lottery promo Mr. Celestine Achi.
“They failed to pay us as promised and we sent petitions to NLRC
and LSLB last year. There are email confirmation messages from LSLB
that they received my complaints. We held series of meetings
with NLRC and their licensed lottery operator in Abuja and NLRC
said they should pay us500 thousand naira as
settlement/compensation which the operator still refused to pay us.
They went to Lagos state lotteries board and their licensed lottery
operator and offered to pay us 120 thousand naira which we
rejected. They have being tossing us around since we rejected the
offer from their licensed lottery operator. I played this lottery
promo through MTN line because it was open to MTN users only on
phone or you can play through their website. The money was deducted
from MTN users lines when you play with SMS Code and MTN Nigeria is
now denying their involvement in this lottery promo when the
operator failed to pay winners. We want justice; we want our
winnings of 2 million naira each,” he said.
TheNigerialawyer (TNL), recalls that Gabriel
Okpoma had in a tweet made on the 31st day of May, 2020,
called on Eczellon Capital, Sponge Nigeria Limited and NNB Capital
and Investment, licensed by NLRC and LSLB, and supported by MTNNG,
to pay winners of BLB lottery promo their winning of N2,000,000
which they won in the promo.