A Nigerian woman has shared her experience of an alleged confrontation with a tout at Apata Market in Ibadan after she declined to give him money.

In a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, the woman explained that she regularly encounters people asking for money around the market and sometimes responds by giving them cash.

She recalled that earlier that same day, another man had approached her to ask for assistance. According to her, she gave him ₦1,000 before continuing with her activities.

“When I was going to the market today, one came, he prostrated and was like, ‘Mama, give us something, please.’ I had to just give him ₦1,000. On my way back, another came, he was running after me.

He said, ‘Ah, Mama, give us something now.’ He was not even speaking English. I just heard, ‘Mama, ẹ fún wa ní kan náà’ (Mama, give us something). I didn’t pay attention. I didn’t look back.”

Woman says tout became angry after she ignored him

The woman said she continued walking and did not respond to the second man. However, according to her account, he eventually became angry over her refusal to give him money.

She said the man questioned why she could not give him ₦200, despite having no obligation to do so.

She expressed disbelief that her decision not to give money resulted in insults and an alleged personal attack.

“The next thing I heard was, ‘Ah, is this one mad? How much is ₦200 that she can’t give us?’ I was like, ‘On top my money?’ What the actual fuck was that? He was like, ‘O’hun na ni idi yin she gbe yen’ (That is why your backside is flat),” she added.

The incident has sparked conversations online about aggressive begging, the expectations placed on people who are approached for money and the abuse or harassment some individuals may face when they decline to give.