Emeka Ike: Love is Real, Dating for Money is Wrong

Veteran Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has said that love and marriage are not scams. He believes relationships only turn fake when people have hidden money motives.

In an interview with BBC News Pidgin that started trending on Friday, he said real love is beautiful. It should be based on honesty, not selfish interests or money.

He shared that some people see relationships as a way to survive. He called this behavior deceitful.

"No, love and marriage is not scam, but there are a few people that are hungry, that are using relationship as a meal ticket. That’s where it becomes a scam.

“Love is beautiful. Relationship is beautiful. To find a person who will like you, oh wow, na sweet matter,” he said.

Emeka added that a relationship becomes a scam when one person hides their true feelings.

He explained, "But when you are liking him for an end that he’s not aware of, that is a scam. Or when you’re liking her for a back end wey she no know say na wetin you like her for, na the scam be that.

“So plenty of girls are going to relationship because of what they want to get, wetin dey wan collect from the man.

“They should just go and be doing bambiala and be begging for money. Not using relationship. Relationship is supposed to be sacred.”

Emeka stressed that love is the key to every good relationship. He urged Nigerians to stop pretending to be in love for their own benefit.

"Love is a foundation. Love is the pillar of every good relationship. Let’s stop messing it up in Nigeria. Let’s stop pretending that we’re in love,” he said.

He also advised women not to let social media set their marriage expectations. He pointed out that every relationship is different. It needs patience, understanding, and support.

“Good girls, no listen to them. Because na the life them they live be that, they come they make am look like say everybody suppose dey do. Na lie.

“People endure in relationship. People try to find out the problem of their spouse in relationship. People try to solve it. People tell their spouses their problems wey them no know. And the spouse will, like, logically comply. How do you know? Because you have been following him mentally, and you know how to help him or help her.”

He further encouraged women to focus on building their marriages instead of comparing them to relationships they see online.

“Make Nigerian girls cool down. No dey listen to those women wey their marriage don scatter, na them full online.

“No take am go meet your husband for house, go dey follow am up say ‘them say’, nobody say anything. Your own relationship cannot be the same thing with that other man. Lai lai, they are not. E fit resemble but no be the same thing.”