The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has issued a stern warning to women across the country, declaring that collecting transport fare from men without keeping the appointment amounts to fraud and is punishable under the law.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, in a viral video on Wednesday, described the act as “obtaining money under false pretence”, stressing that offenders risk arrest and prosecution if reported.
“Taking transport fare from a man without actually going to meet him is an offence. It is regarded as obtaining money under false pretence, and the law considers it a crime,” Iringe-Koko said.
She advised Nigerians to avoid financial dealings rooted in deceit, warning that the police will no longer overlook such cases.
The warning comes amid recent court rulings now being referred to as cases of “transport fare fraud.”
Earlier this year, a magistrate court fined a young woman, Jennifer, N450,000—or a seven-year jail term—for collecting N50,000 from a man named Emmanuel and failing to show up. The court ruled her conduct fraudulent and exploitative. She eventually paid the fine.
Similarly, in January, another woman, Rhoda Adu, was ordered by a magistrate court in Ilesa, Osun State, to refund N3,000 to her boyfriend after disappearing with his transport money. She was also directed to pay N150,000 in damages for breach of trust and emotional distress.
Magistrates in both cases stressed that deceiving people for transport money is not only immoral but also a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
Meanwhile, the police video has triggered a heated debate on social media. While some Nigerians insist the matter is better classified as a moral failing, others agree with the police, arguing that it squarely fits the definition of fraud.