Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Social media personality Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, is facing a fresh fraud allegation before a Lagos Special Offences Court, where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accuses her of obtaining N69.15 million from a health company under the false pretence of leasing a property in Lekki, Lagos, that she did not own.
The defendant was arraigned on June 9, 2026, before Justice R. A. Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing. She pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the EFCC, Okoro allegedly obtained the sum from Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited by falsely claiming ownership of a property located at No. 1 Tunbosun Osobu Street, Lekki, which she purportedly leased to the company for five years.
Count one of the charge 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 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 second count accuses her of dishonestly converting the sum to her personal use, an offence of stealing contrary to Section 280(2) and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
At the continuation of her trial on Monday, a prosecution witness, Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, told the court how he paid N69,150,000 for a five-year lease of the property after the defendant allegedly represented it as belonging to her. The witness said he contacted the defendant after discovering that the property did not belong to her, but she allegedly dismissed his concerns. He told the court that the following day, a man identified as Mr Tom reportedly arrived with police officers and arrested some of the company's 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. The witness also identified WhatsApp messages in which the defendant allegedly sent photographs of the building as evidence of her ownership. He told the court that he paid the defendant additional charges, including agency, legal and caution fees, and alleged that she collected money from him and another victim for the same property. Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until October 26, 2026, for continuation of trial.
Earlier in the proceedings, Justice Oshodi had admitted Blessing CEO to bail in the sum of N20 million with two sureties in like sum. The judge said that although the prosecution did not oppose the bail application, the court was still required to consider the gravity of the alleged offences and the severity of the punishment prescribed by law before exercising its discretion. The judge also considered the defence's explanation regarding the whereabouts of the defendant's international passport. As part of the bail conditions, Justice Oshodi directed that each surety must provide a three-year bank statement or proof of fixed deposits worth at least N20 million. He further ordered that the defendant and her sureties undergo screening through the Lagos State Judiciary's Bail Information Management System. The court also directed that the Nigerian Immigration Service be formally notified to enforce travel restrictions on the defendant pending the determination of the case.
The EFCC had initially arraigned Blessing CEO before Justice Oshodi on the fresh two-count charge, and she was remanded in EFCC custody pending her scheduled arraignment before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi on a separate alleged fraud case. In a related development, Justice Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi granted her bail in the sum of N10 million in a separate alleged N36 million fraud case, with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a family member. The sureties are required to submit proof of employment and bank statements.
The legal proceedings against Blessing CEO have drawn significant public attention because of her prominence as a social media personality whose commentary on relationships and personal conduct has made her a household name in Nigeria's online ecosystem. The allegations against her are particularly sensitive because they involve the sale or lease of real estate, a sector that has long been plagued by fraud, forged documents and disputes over ownership. According to the EFCC, the alleged offences contravene Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State and Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act. The commission's Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 is prosecuting the case.
The political context of the trial is less direct than the legal and reputational stakes. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. Public attention remains focused on the campaign and the state of the economy, but high-profile criminal cases such as this one continue to shape public discourse about accountability, the rule of law and the integrity of Nigeria's business environment. For the EFCC, the prosecution is part of a broader enforcement agenda that has seen the commission pursue high-profile fraud cases involving public officials, businessmen and celebrities across the country.
For Blessing CEO, the trial represents both a legal battle and a reputational test. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and the burden of proof rests with the prosecution. Her defence team, led by Nkama Nneka, has challenged the charge and secured bail on terms that include significant financial sureties and travel restrictions. The coming weeks will determine whether the prosecution can produce evidence sufficient to secure a conviction or whether the case joins the long list of high-profile prosecutions that stall or collapse in Nigeria's courts. For the complainant, Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited, the case is an attempt to recover the N69.15 million it says it paid for a property it never lawfully obtained. For the public, the case is a reminder that real estate fraud remains a persistent risk in Nigeria and that even prominent figures can find themselves on the wrong side of the law when transactions go wrong. As the trial resumes on October 26, the court will hear further testimony and determine whether the evidence supports the EFCC's allegations. Until then, Blessing CEO remains on bail and subject to travel restrictions, and the case against her continues its slow passage through the criminal justice system.
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