The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has recovered more than N4 billion of unpaid revenue due to the federal government from lottery companies. Mr Mohammed Abbah, the acting chairman of the commission disclosed this when a delegation of the Ministerial Task Force for recovery of unpaid revenues from lottery businesses led by its chairman, Willian Alo paid hin a visit in his office.
Abah noted that most lottery businesses operating in the country were not inclined to remitting revenues due to the government, hence, the intervention of the EFCC to ensure that they pay whatever they are owing the government.
He said, “we mapped out strategies which resulted in the recovery of over N4.16 from lottery companies operating in Abuja with over N3 billion from their counterparts operating in Lagos State”.
He told Mr. Alo that EFCC is willing and ready to partner with the Ministerial Task Force to “ensure that lottery companies that have continuously shortchanged the government are made to cough out all the revenues they had deprived the government over the years,” he pledged.
Alo, who is also the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, commended the EFCC for its effort in recovering the funds.
He stated, “Let me acknowledge the efforts of this commission for the assistance it has rendered not only to the Federal Government of Nigeria but specifically to the lottery industry.
“It is in our record that the EFCC has assisted the lottery business in no small way because a lot of recoveries have been made for us by the EFCC and the money recovered has always been handed over to the lottery trust fund.”
Alo, however, solicited more support and collaboration of the commission in the fund recovery drive of the task force.
