A NIGERIAN businessman has spoken of his ongoing nightmare following rumours that he won a €94m EuroMillions lottery ticket sold in Dublin.
“What I went through with my family is unbelievable, the type of trauma we went through is unimaginable,” he said, adding that it seemed like a joke at the beginning.
“Initially it was sounding funny but [later] I became scared of what the outcome would be. People were even advising me to go to the gardai. People have told me to leave the house.”
He said he has already received an unprecedented number of phone calls and messages over the lottery rumours.
“Calls were coming from here and there. Even people from the US and Nigeria have been calling me,” he said, adding that several close friends have also been receiving calls.
One of those close friends, Hans Igbosuno, told Metro Éireann that Ike has received “over 500 phone calls” so far.
Many of the contacts have been from people begging him for money. One text message read: “My brother, a little can help. This is my account number…”
Ike stated categorically to Metro Éireann that he is not the winner, and he wants members of the Nigerian community to leave him and his family alone.
“I did not win the lottery. Such amount of money is not what anyone can hide.”
He also moved to reassure his customers that everything is still in business as usual with his shipping company.
“Some of my customers were scared and wondering how they would be contacting someone who is a multimillionaire,” he said of the rampant lottery rumours.
Despite his denials, Ike remains the subject of scrutiny within the Nigerian community, many of whom say they do not believe his claims.
In the meantime, Ike and his family continue to put up with uninvited guests at their home, Some, he says, have been received warmly and sat down so he can explain his predicament, but others he has turned away.
“They brought wine to celebrate with me but I did not allow them inside the house,” he said.
- It’s been confirmed by The National Lottery that the anonymous winner – who purchased their ticket at Mace on Shantalla Road in Beaumont, north Dublin – collected the €93.9m cheque from its headquarters on Lower Abbey Street at the beginning of this month.
The Irish winner and a player in Belgium shared equally in the jackpot of over €187m from the 24 June EuroMillions draw.
