How do you explain to your family that strangers are sending them texts calling you a criminal?
That was my life at 37. Husband. Father of two. And suddenly, “wanted man”, not because I stole, but because I downloaded a loan app.
How it Started
It began like most Nigerian money problems do: unexpected bills. School fees were due, rent was around the corner, and salary had already disappeared on fuel, food, and the everyday things .The banks? Abeg. Their loans felt like a Harvard application. Too many requirements, too much delay.
Then a friend casually said, “Guy, just download this app. Two minutes, you go see alert.”
And just like that, temptation won.
He was right. Two minutes. Alert. Easy money. For a while, it felt like magic.
But nobody tells you magic comes with a curse.
The Fall
The interest was wicked. Before I could recover from one loan, I was taking another just to repay the first. I thought I was managing it. Until the day the calls started.
Not to me. To everyone I knew.
Colleagues. Church members. Even my 68-year-old uncle in Akure.
The messages were brutal:
- “This man is a fraud.”
- “He refuses to pay his debt.”
- “Do not trust him.”
My phone would not stop buzzing, but the worst part was my family’s faces. My wife looked at me like she didn’t know who I was anymore. My children asked why I was angry all the time. That shame nearly finished me and quite frankly, was the lowest point of my life.
How I Got Out
I didn’t sleep. For weeks, every kobo I could find went into repayment. Freelance jobs. Borrowing from family (the proper way, not through an app). Selling off things at giveaway prices.
Slowly, painfully, I paid it all back. And when I finally deleted those apps, I felt like I could breathe again. But the scars? They’re still there.
The Wake-Up Call
I promised myself never again after being stretched thin for weeks. One evening, in the middle of my self-pity, a friend pulled me aside:
“O boy, stop killing yourself with these apps. Try Stellas. It’s not instant, but at least you’ll never lose your dignity.”
At first, I laughed. Another loan? But I tried. And for the first time, the process felt… human. Slower, yes. But the interest was fair. And most importantly, nobody was going to harass my family. This time, it went into doing things that mattered to my family and building financially.
That was when I understood: the loan wasn’t the problem. The type of loan was.
What I Learned
I wish I could tell you I’ll never borrow again. The truth? Life happens. But now I know: a quick fix can burn your entire house down. If you must take a loan, choose the kind that doesn’t destroy your name in the process.
Money Moves is where we tell these stories the real, unfiltered money journeys of Nigerians trying to figure it out.
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