BREAKING: A 20-year-old man reportedly lost his phone, cash and other valuables after travelling from Bayelsa to Asaba to meet someone he contacted on TikTok.
ASABA, DELTA STATE — A 20-year-old resident of Bayelsa State reportedly travelled to Asaba after a TikTok user agreed to teach him internet-related activities. According to accounts circulating on social media, the two agreed to meet at a hotel in the Delta State capital before the incident occurred.
According to the reports, the visitor arrived at the hotel and met the man as planned. The host allegedly asked him to freshen up in the bathroom before they began their discussion. When the young man returned, he reportedly discovered that the suspect had left the hotel with his iPhone 12, power bank and all the cash he had travelled with.
The social media account that shared the incident claimed the suspect has not been seen since the alleged theft and that efforts to reach him have not been successful. As of the time of filing this report, the claims had not been independently verified by Extra News Nigeria, and the Delta State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident.
Online platforms have increasingly become places where people connect for business, training and personal interactions. Security experts have repeatedly advised members of the public to exercise caution when arranging meetings with individuals they only know through social media. They also recommend meeting in secure public locations and verifying identities before sharing personal information or travelling long distances.
The development means internet users may need to take additional precautions before accepting invitations from people they meet online. Authorities are expected to encourage anyone who experiences a similar incident to report the matter to the nearest police station to support investigations and help prevent related cases.
