Dating for Money is Fraud, Says Emeka Ike

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Veteran Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has criticised the growing trend of entering romantic relationships for financial gain, describing the practice as a “romantic scam.”

The actor said relationships built on hidden financial motives amount to deception, insisting that love and marriage should never be used as a means of making money.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Pidgin, Ike maintained that genuine affection, not financial expectations, should be the foundation of every relationship.

“Love and marriage is not scam. But there are a few hungry people who are using relationship as meal tickets. That’s where it becomes a scam,” he said.

According to him, pretending to love someone for personal financial gain is dishonest and undermines the true essence of relationships.

“Love is beautiful. If you find someone who genuinely likes you, it’s very sweet. But when you are liking him or her for an end they are not aware of, that’s a scam,” Ike stated.

The actor further claimed that many women now approach relationships primarily for financial benefits, blaming the trend for eroding the sanctity of love.

“A lot of girls are going into relationships because of what they want to get from the man. They should just join street-begging instead of using relationship to raise money,” he said.

Ike urged Nigerians to preserve the integrity of relationships, stressing that love should never be treated as a business transaction.

“Relationship is supposed to be sacred. Love is the pillar of every good relationship. Let’s stop messing it up in Nigeria. Let’s stop pretending that we are in love just to raise money. Relationship shouldn’t be a source of income,” he added.