An agent of NairaBet, a sports betting
platform, has ended his life over his inability to pay a customer who
allegedly won a N600,000 bet.
platform, has ended his life over his inability to pay a customer who
allegedly won a N600,000 bet.
PUNCH Metro learnt that
residents of Obadeyi Ajala woke up on Wednesday to find the deceased
dangling from a rope in an uncompleted shop at Ajala bus stop, on the
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
residents of Obadeyi Ajala woke up on Wednesday to find the deceased
dangling from a rope in an uncompleted shop at Ajala bus stop, on the
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
The incident was said to have drawn a
crowd to the area and a girlfriend of the deceased, who reportedly
worked in a filling station in the area, was alerted.
crowd to the area and a girlfriend of the deceased, who reportedly
worked in a filling station in the area, was alerted.
The lady reportedly passed out on sighting the body, but was revived by the sympathisers at the scene.
A resident, Monday Gabriel, told our
correspondent on the telephone that the lady gave an account of what
could have prompted him to commit suicide.
correspondent on the telephone that the lady gave an account of what
could have prompted him to commit suicide.
He said, “I was going to my workplace
around 8am when I saw people around three uncompleted shops in Ajala bus
stop. On getting there, I saw the corpse of a young man in one of the
shops dangling from a rope.
around 8am when I saw people around three uncompleted shops in Ajala bus
stop. On getting there, I saw the corpse of a young man in one of the
shops dangling from a rope.
“As we wondered what could have made him
to kill himself, a lady, who later identified herself as his
girlfriend, arrived at the scene and fainted on sighting the corpse. We
poured water on her.
to kill himself, a lady, who later identified herself as his
girlfriend, arrived at the scene and fainted on sighting the corpse. We
poured water on her.
“When she regained consciousness, she
told us that the man sent her a text message yesterday (Tuesday), saying
he wanted to commit suicide. She said she called his line, but he
didn’t pick his calls.
told us that the man sent her a text message yesterday (Tuesday), saying
he wanted to commit suicide. She said she called his line, but he
didn’t pick his calls.
“According to the girlfriend, the late man had a NairaBet shop. One of the customers won N600,000, but he has not paid him.”
Gabriel added that two persons later came and took the lady away from the scene on a motorcycle.
Another eyewitness, Olanrewaju Adebiyi, said policemen from the Ijaiye division came to remove the corpse.
He said, “I learnt he ran a NairaBet
shop. If it is true that he was owing a customer N600,000, he must have
received the money from the NairaBet management and used it for
something else. I also play NairaBet and whenever I win, the agent I
patronise pays me the moment the company credits his account.
shop. If it is true that he was owing a customer N600,000, he must have
received the money from the NairaBet management and used it for
something else. I also play NairaBet and whenever I win, the agent I
patronise pays me the moment the company credits his account.
“The company doesn’t owe the agents, but some of them play smart at times when customers win big money.”
An official of NairaBet Contact Centre,
who gave her name only as Chidika, told our correspondent on the
telephone that the firm always paid for any won ticket, adding that it
was not aware of the incident.
who gave her name only as Chidika, told our correspondent on the
telephone that the firm always paid for any won ticket, adding that it
was not aware of the incident.
She said, “We always pay for any won
ticket. An agent has his own personal business. He/she is just a partner
with NairaBet in which we share commission on a monthly or weekly
basis. So, it depends on the understanding he had with the customer or
the issue on the ground before he committed suicide.”
ticket. An agent has his own personal business. He/she is just a partner
with NairaBet in which we share commission on a monthly or weekly
basis. So, it depends on the understanding he had with the customer or
the issue on the ground before he committed suicide.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous Cole, confirmed that the case was reported to the police.
“The incident was reported. I will get back to you with more details later,” he said.
