Press Release
Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, Ibarhim Lamorde has promised to build a robust relationship
with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, in fighting the menace
of lottery scam and other unwholesome practices in the lottery sector.
Lamorde gave the assurance on Tuesday, March
17, 2015 while signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the NLRC on
ways to effectively combat fraud in the lottery sector in Nigeria.
The EFCC boss assured that the Commission
would spare no effort towards cleaning up the industry of cheats and illegal
lottery operators. “We will do our best to bring violators of laws to justice”,
Lamorde said.
According to him, under the new agreement,
“the Commission will make available its operatives with respect to enforcement
of the National Lottery Act, in the area of training, investigation and
prosecution, so as to have a joint team to clean up the system for the good of
the country”.
Lamorde opined that, there was a need to
appoint focal persons to ease collaboration between the two agencies.
In his remark, NLRC Director General,
Adolphus Joe Ekpe, noted that, the essence of the MoU was to fashion out areas
of cooperation and collaboration between EFCC and NLRC with a view to tackling
financial crimes in relation to lottery activities.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate
of illegal operators of lottery saying, “some people have turned Lottery to
gambling, fraud and economic crime platforms. For those of us in Lottery
Commission, we have been given several names like chacha and all sorts.
We are not deterred. In fact, this is why this collaboration with EFCC becomes
imperative”.
According to Ekpe, “lottery business is a
tool for job creation, wealth redistribution and national development”.
The NLRC boss thanked EFCC for its commitment
to the war against economic and financial crimes in Nigeria and expressed
belief that the collaboration between the two agencies would help stamp out
illegal lottery operators from the industry.
The ceremony was witnessed by management staff of the EFCC
including the Secretary to the Commission, Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo and
Commandant, EFCC Academy, Olowonihi while Director Enforcement
& Compliance, Sajo Mohammed; Director Regulation and Monitoring, Prince
Jeminiwa Emmanuel were among the team from NLRC.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
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