Someone begs you for money. Next thing you know, you’re begging them to return it. Wild. These 7 Nigerians share their worst experience with onigbeses.
“He used my money to do wedding” — Val
Around the end of 2022, I decided to start my fitness journey. That plan included getting a gym instructor. Tell me why this instructor decided to ask me for ₦20k. I hadn’t even trained with him for up to a month, so I wasn’t sure I could trust him, but I gave him ₦10k because he claimed his mum was sick. The following week, I started calling him, but he didn’t pick up. Then I heard rumours at the gym that the silly guy took money from different people for his big wedding. Nothing was even wrong with his mum. I’m now scared of gym instructors; the guy has scarred me.
“She asked for more money after three months” — Doyin*
There’s this former colleague of mine. We weren’t exactly friends, but we used to talk now and then. She texted me one day to ask for ₦20k and said she had to take care of some important stuff. We agreed she’d pay back in two weeks, but when the time came, I didn’t hear a word from her. I texted her two days after, and she sent a voice note apologising and even asked for my account number. One week later, still nothing. She started to claim network issues. After two weeks, she finally sent ₦10k. Then, she sent ₦5k the week later. I never got the remaining ₦5k because she said someone who was owing her would send it to me, and I got tired of chasing her.
Can you imagine three months later, she came to ask for ₦50k? Must be ment.
“He took my money and disappeared” — Foyo*
I had this friend who I’d known for a few months. He texted me on Instagram sometime in August 2017 to ask for ₦5k. I can’t remember the payment arrangement, but I know he practically disappeared. I tried to call and text, but he wasn’t responding. By October, when I texted him on IG requesting my money, he said he was disappointed I’d just sprung it up on him. He stopped replying my messages, and we never spoke again. I later found out that was his thing. I no longer lend people money because I can’t fight.
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“He started asking why I decided to give him money” — Jima
In 2017, I gave a friend ₦10k for his final project. I was still in school then, so it was out of my allowance. When the time came for him to pay back, he started speaking in parables, saying things along the lines of “who sent me to give him money?” We were in different universities, so I couldn’t drag him by his trousers to pay.
Precious, wherever you are, know that God will judge you.
“He asked me to return a jersey he gave me” — Linda
My friend texted me that he needed me to send ₦10k to someone; he’d maxed out his account transaction limit and was going to repay me the next day. I kept calling, but he kept posting me. From September, the next time he texted me was February. He asked me for my account number and sent ₦4k. I didn’t even say anything.
After about a year, he followed me on IG again and posted about how he couldn’t wait for God to bless him so he could bless others. I replied saying he should be sure to send my ₦6k when it happens. Can you believe he said I have a bitter heart and was trying to act smart, but I was a thief? He asked me to return the jersey he gave me three years ago if I wanted my money.
“She started giving me one-worded responses” — Chi
When I was going on my industrial training, I decided to sell my hostel bed space. A friend of mine offered to buy it for ₦20k, and I agreed. We had mutual friends, I didn’t think it’d be a problem. But the first month came with no money, and the same thing happened in the second month. After pestering her, she sent me ₦5k on the third month. I continued to text her, but she wouldn’t reply. If she managed to respond, it’d be with one word. I got tired of dragging her eventually.
“She could afford to buy clothes and change her hair, but not to pay me” — Timi*
In my first year of university, I lent a close friend of mine the ₦18k I was supposed to use to register for a compulsory course. She needed to pay some dues or so and promised to repay a week after. But when the week came, she said she didn’t have it. For weeks, she kept coming up with new excuses, even though she could afford to buy new clothes and change her hair. She eventually paid on the day of my exam. Luckily, I’d saved enough to pay for the registration in time.
*Some names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.
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