Veteran Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has condemned the growing trend of entering romantic relationships for financial gain, describing the practice as a form of deception.
The actor argued that some individuals, particularly women, pursue relationships primarily to obtain money and other material benefits, a situation he believes amounts to fraud.
Speaking in a recent interview with BBC Pidgin, Ike stressed that genuine love and marriage should not be viewed as business transactions. He urged those who date solely for financial support to seek other means of making money rather than misleading unsuspecting partners.
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He said, “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.
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“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.
“A lot of girls are going into relationships because what they want to get from the man. They should just join street-begging instead of using relationship to raise money.
“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.”
The actor further emphasized the importance of sincerity in relationships, maintaining that love should be built on genuine affection rather than financial expectations.
