One oga for Washington DC wey tink say im win $340m jackpot, don sue Powerball and di DC lottery office afta dem claim say dem publish im number by mistake.
John Cheeks tok say im feel ‘numb’ as im see di publication of di winning numbers wey match im ticket for January 2023.
But as im present di ticket to di lottery and gaming office, dem deny im claim.
“One of di agents don tok me say my ticket no good, so make I throw am inside thrash,’ cheeks tell di BBC.
Na so Oga Cheeks go find lawyer.
Im now dey sue di lottery office for damages wit interest wey e go get on top di moni per day – all don amount to $340m
‘Accidental error’
According to court document, Powerball and di lottery contractor, DC-based Taoti enterprise, don claim say di confusion come from technical error.
For di document, one employee tok say on 6 January 2023, di day oga Cheeks buy im ticket, di quality assurance team don dey run tests for dia website.
Dem add say on dat day, dem publish a set of test numbers wey match oga Cheeks im numbers “accidentally”.
Dose numbers don dey di website for three days until 9 January.
According to one Taoti worker, di numbers wey dey online neva match di numbers wey dem draw for di last lottery draw.
Neither powerball or Taoti respond to di BBC request for comment on di mata.
Oga Cheeks now don dey sue on eight separate counts, including breach of contract, negligence, infliction of emotional distress and fraud.
Oga Cheeks im lawyer, Richard Evans tok for court document say sake of di winning numbers match cheeks im numbers, e don dey entitled to di “entire jackpot”.
Otherwise di lawyer explain say im client oga Cheeks don dey entitled to damages for di “gross negligence” of di lottery office sake of dem post erroneous numbers.
“Dis lawsuit don dey raise critical question about di integrity and accountability of lottery operations and di safeguards – or lack of it – against di type of errors wia powerball and DC lottery tok say na im happun,” lawyer Evans tok di BBC for one statement.
“Dis neva be mere numbers for di website, e be about di reliability of institutions wia don promise life-changing opportunities, as dem dey make heavy profit in di process,” im tok.
Oga Cheeks tell di BBC say im make hopeful.
“I know di justice system go prevail,” wey im add say di lottery winning go change im life and im family.
If im win, im plan say im go open home trust bank wey go help pipo wey dey wan own homes.
Di next hearing of di case be 23 February.
Di odds of oga Cheeks or any pesin wey go win di jackpot don dey rare wit about one out of 292.2 million.
If you compare, di odds say lightning go strike pesin ova di next year be 1 in 1,22 million, according to di US National weather service.
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