Witness Accuses Blessing CEO of Leasing Property She Did Not Own

A prosecution witness has told the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, that social media influencer Blessing Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, allegedly collected N69.15 million from him for a five-year lease of a property she did not own.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed this in a statement via the social media handle on Monday, October 12, detailing proceedings in the trial before Justice R. A. Oshodi.

The witness, Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, identified as PW1, told the court that the money was paid for a property at No. 1 Tunbosun Osobu Street, Lekki, Lagos, which he said was represented to him as belonging to the defendant.

Blessing CEO was arraigned by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 on June 9, 2026, on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and stealing involving N69,150,000. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.

READ ALSO: Court Adjourns Blessing CEO’s Alleged N36m Fraud Trial To July 20

Part of the first count alleged that the defendant, on or about March 21, 2025, induced Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited to pay the money under the claim that the property belonged to her and had been leased to the company for five years.

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 (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.

During his testimony, Okeigwe told the court that he contacted the defendant after a man identified as Mr Tom allegedly showed up at the property with police officers and arrested some of the workers.

According to the witness, Blessing CEO denied knowing the man but continued to insist that she owned the property.

“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 him photographs of the building as evidence of her ownership.

He further told the court that he paid additional charges, including agency, legal and caution fees, in connection with the transaction.

Okeigwe maintained that the alleged fraud centred on the ownership of the property, claiming that the defendant collected N69.15 million from him despite allegedly not being the rightful owner.

He also alleged that the defendant collected money from him and another person for the same property.

Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until October 26, 2026, for continuation of the trial.