Nairabet Agent Commits Suicide Over N600,000 Winning

An agent of NairaBet, a sports betting platform , has ended his life over his inability to pay a customer who allegedly won a N 600 ,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.
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 .
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 .
He said, “I was going to my workplace around 8 am 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 .
“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 .
“According to the girlfriend, the late man had a NairaBet shop . One of the customers won N 600 , 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 N 600 ,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 .
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 . ”
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.