At the continuation of the trial of social media influencer Blessing Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, on Monday, October 12, 2026, a prosecution witness, PW1, Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, told Justice R. A. Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, how he paid N69,150,000 for a five-year lease of a property allegedly represented to him as belonging to the influencer.
Blessing CEO was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 9, 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing, involving N69,150,000.
Count one reads in part: “That you, OKORO BLESSING NKIRUKA, on or about March 21, 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, induced Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited to confer a benefit of N69,150,000 (Sixty-Nine Million, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) on you under the representation that the property located at No. 1 Tunbosun Osobu Street, Lekki, belonged to you and was leased to the company for a period of five years, a representation you knew to be false.”
The alleged offence is contrary to Section 1(2) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to her.
The witness told the court that he contacted the defendant, who allegedly dismissed his concerns. He said that the following day, a man identified as Mr Tom arrived with police officers and arrested some of the workers.
“I informed the defendant, and she claimed she did not know Mr Tom. I paid N100,000 to secure the release of my workers. Blessing still maintained that she did not know Mr Tom and that she was the owner of the property,” he said.
He also identified WhatsApp messages in which the defendant allegedly sent photographs of the building as evidence of her ownership.
The witness further told the court that he paid the defendant additional charges, including agency, legal and caution fees.
However, he maintained that the alleged misrepresentation centred on the defendant’s claim of ownership of the property, despite allegedly collecting N69,150,000 from him. He also told the court that the defendant allegedly collected money from him and another victim for the same property.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until October 26, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
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