A magistrate court has fined a woman identified as Jennifer the sum of N450,000 after she allegedly collected N30,000 from a man, Emmanuel, as transport fare to visit him but failed to show up.
According to reports, Emmanuel had sent the money with the expectation that Jennifer would come over, but she failed to honor the agreement and cut off communication. The case was brought before the magistrate court, which ruled in favor of Emmanuel.
In a viral video from the courtroom, the magistrate declared that Jennifer’s action amounted to deceit and financial exploitation. The court ordered her to pay N450,000 as damages — a figure 15 times higher than the original sum received.
The judge emphasized that the ruling should serve as a deterrent to others who exploit individuals under false pretenses.
“This judgment will stand as an example to ladies who collect money from men under the guise of visiting them but never fulfill their promise,” the magistrate stated.
The verdict has sparked heated debates online, with some Nigerians supporting the ruling as fair, while others described it as excessive and questioned the legality of such personal disputes reaching court.
