The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has offered to assist the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC in tackling the menace of lottery scam and other unwholesome practices in the lottery sector.

Ibrahim Lamorde, Executive Chairman, EFCC, made the offer Monday, August 18, 2014 while receiving Mr. Adolphus Joe Ekpe , Director General, NLRC, who led his management team to the Commission on a courtesy visit.

The EFCC boss who lamented the manner Nigerians are being ripped off their hard earned resources through unscrupulous lottery promotions expressed the Commission’s preparedness towards cleaning up the lottery industry of cheats and illegal lottery operators.

According to him, the Commission “will make available its operatives in the area of investigation and detection so as to have a joint team to clean up the system”.

Lamorde said the war against graft can only be fought and won through the collaboration of all stakeholders in the country.

Speaking earlier, NLRC Director General, Mr. Ekpe, said that the team was in the Commission to solicit support of EFCC in the area of lottery crime detection and investigation; arrest and prosecution of lottery offenders; and staff attachment and training in fighting financial crimes in relation to lottery activities.

The NLRC boss stated that the National Lottery Regulatory Commission was established by the National Lottery Act of 2005. He described the Commission as the only Federal Government agency empowered by law to regulate the business of lottery in Nigeria .

According to Ekpe, “lottery business is a tool for job creation, wealth redistribution and national development”. He decried the activities of quacks in the industry saying, “it is the huge potentials in lottery that makes it attractive to some dubious Nigerians who set out to cheat other Nigerians in the guise of lottery”.

The NLRC boss who lauded EFCC for its giant strides in curbing economic and financial crimes in Nigeria, expressed optimism that the collaboration between the two agencies would help stamp out illegal lottery operators from the industry and put a check on sharp practices by registered operators.

The short ceremony witnessed the setting up of a joint committee to fashion out a framework of collaboration by both agencies.

Media & Publicity
18th August, 2014