Emeka Ike Condemns Dating for Money, Calls It a ‘Romantic Scam’

Emeka Ike condemns dating for money, arguing that relationships built on financial gain amount to what he calls a “romantic scam.”

Speaking in an interview with BBC Pidgin, the veteran Nollywood actor said some people enter relationships mainly to collect money from unsuspecting partners. As a result, he warned that such behaviour is deceptive and undermines genuine love.

According to Ike, love and marriage should be founded on trust, honesty and commitment. However, he argued that pretending to love someone for financial benefits is no different from fraud.

He urged women who seek money through relationships to find other lawful means of earning a living instead of misleading people. Furthermore, he said relationships should never become a source of income.

“Love is beautiful. If you genuinely like someone, it is sweet. But when you are only interested in what you can get without the other person knowing your real intention, that is a scam,” he said.

Ike also called on Nigerians to protect the sanctity of relationships. He stressed that love remains the foundation of every healthy relationship and urged people to stop pretending to be in love simply to make money.

The actor’s comments have sparked debate on social media, with many agreeing that honesty and mutual respect are essential for lasting relationships, while others argued that financial expectations often influence modern dating.