Ilebaye Odinaya, the winner of the BBNaija All Stars edition, has faced criticism for sharing her account number with fans just hours after winning the N120 million grand prize.
Following her victory, Ilebaye took to Twitter to provide her account details to fans, offering instructions on how they can send her money or gifts to prevent them from falling victim to fraudsters.
However, a Twitter user expressed anger at Ilebaye’s actions, labeling her as greedy for seeking additional financial support from her fans despite her substantial cash prize.
“To tell you how greedy Ilebaye is, she’s telling her fans to send money to her, despite the fact that she just won 120 million naira CASH. She still wants foolish and stupid Nigerians to donate money to her.”
In response to the criticism, Ilebaye clarified that her tweet was intended to protect well-meaning individuals who might want to offer gifts and support but could mistakenly send money to scammers. She emphasized that she and her team had not solicited funds and only shared the account they had access to.
Ilebaye tweeted: “This tweet was solely to avoid people who WANT to gift falling into the hands of scammers.
“We didn’t solicit for funds, we only highlighted the account we have access to.
“Too many fake account numbers are circulating and we will not be held accountable for any misappropriation.”
The incident highlights the challenges faced by public figures in managing their public image and communication with their fans, particularly in matters related to finances and donations. While Ilebaye’s intention may have been to protect her fans from potential scams, it has sparked a debate about the appropriateness of such requests given her recent substantial prize winnings.
