Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
There are two things youths in Abuja do not hide. One is betting and the other is Online dating.
“I can’t tell you lies, I’m into betting and online dating. Most of young people in Abuja do same,” Margret Oche, an undergraduate of University of Abuja told Daily Sun.
Online dating is the process of searching for sexual partners on the internet through different applications like Tinder, Grinder, dating sites or even through Facebook friendship. Most youths confess they prefer online dating to the traditional dating. They say it gives them the opportunity of knowing more about the person before meeting him or her physically.
Some of the people confessed that they have found true love in the arms of people that ordinarily they wouldn’t have summoned enough courage to approach. Others said they have met their husbands and wives on the internet and are happily married and have kids.
Justina Edoh from Kuje confessed there are some inherent risks associated with online dating. One of them is the possibility of meeting a fake and irresponsible person. It was through internet dating that she met her husband. She said the man that eventually took her to alter was her first.
She disclosed her ex-lover duped and nearly married her as a third wife before God used one of his wives to expose him: “When I met the first man, I was into business of wrappers. I do travel to Kano and Lagos respectively to buy my goods. So, after two months into the relationship, he told me that we would need to meet and know ourselves more so that we can plan on how to move the relationship to the next level. I was staying in Kogi State then, so I travelled to Kaduna to meet him.
“He took me to a friend’s house, the owner of the house acted like his younger brother. I stayed there for one week and returned to my base. Then we started our plans. I thought I have known him, he proposed and I accepted not knowing that I am wrong.
“After one month, he called me that he is in a very tight corner that I should help him with N200,000. I told him I could raise only N100,000, he said no problem I should send it to his account and I did. That was how I lost the money because he did not pay. He started complaining of non-payment by his customers.
“He told me that he wanted to come and see my people on how to do the traditional marriage. I told him I would like to meet with his people first but he said no. He said his people are very demonic; that the last time he took a woman to his people, that relationship broke up without any cause. So this time, he wanted to be through with the marriage before I could visit his village.
“He brought some men and a woman who he claimed were his very close and trusted relations to my place and the introduction was done. But I had one problem that kept bordering me, he would not pick calls but called at his convenience. One day I just decided to try one of his lines and a woman picked. She told me that her husband forgot the phone at home.
“I could not believe my ears. I recharged my phone and called back. That was how God used the woman to deliver me. She told me that the place he took me to was the friend’s house, that it is their business and that she is not even the only wife.
“When he called he claimed it was call divert. But when I told him the names of the wife, children and that of his partner in crime, he hanged the call and stopped calling. That was how the first one ended before I met this God sent. He is everything I prayed for and we are now happily married and have three kids.”
Joel Adah, a banker also prefers online dating to the normal traditional dating: “I am a very shy person. It is not easy for me to stand before a woman and express my feelings, coupled with the type of job I do. There is no much time for hangouts. All the ladies I have dated, I met them on line and we concluded everything before meeting in person. It saves time and resources.”
Helle Sesugh’s confession: “We met on Facebook. We started chatting, when he asked me to pay him a visit in Abuja. I was somehow scared but I later made it. That was the beginning of this great union, you are seeing today.”
Meanwhile, Adayi John said he would never date online again because most people there are using fake identities: “I met this very beautiful lady on line and we became friends. I decided to invite her to my place. What I saw was the complete opposite of what I have been seeing on the internet. I nearly fainted, I just managed myself till the next day then lied to her that I have been sent on an official trip so that she could leave. That was the end of the relationship and I vowed never to date online again.”