Court to Decide Social Media Influencer Blessing CEO's Bail Fate Next Week Over Alleged ₦36m Property Scam

The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has reserved its ruling on the bail application filed by controversial relationship coach and social media personality, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, who is currently facing trial over an alleged ₦36 million fraud.

Presiding Judge Justice Deinde Dipeolu deferred the decision until 9 June 2026, following a heated courtroom session where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) strongly opposed releasing the defendant. The anti-graft agency is prosecuting Blessing CEO on a two-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining money under false pretences, alleging that she fraudulently collected ₦36 million from a complainant for the lease of a six-bedroom detached duplex in Lekki that she did not own.

During the proceedings, defence counsel P.I. Nwafuru appealed to the court to grant his client bail on the most liberal terms possible. However, prosecution counsel S.I. Suleiman countered the request by presenting a 28-paragraph counter-affidavit. The prosecution argued that the social media influencer had previously stopped honouring official invitations during the investigative phase, urging the court to deny bail and order an accelerated hearing instead.

The session also saw the EFCC open its formal case by calling its first witness, investigating officer Bufa Regina Okangbe, who detailed how the alleged scam unravelled.

Key details revealed by the investigator’s testimony include:

• The False Pretence: Land registry records from the Lagos State Land Bureau confirmed that the property in question actually belonged to a landlord named Tunbosun Osobu, who had merely leased it to the defendant.
• The Financial Split: Bank verification audits showed that the complainant transferred ₦25 million into the defendant's GTBank account and ₦11 million into her Access Bank account before being evicted by the actual property owner.
• Subsequent Fund Dispersion: Forensic account analysis traced subsequent outbound transfers from Blessing CEO’s accounts, including ₦11 million to her mother, Lina Uzoma Okoro, and ₦8 million to the actual landlord.

Although the defence raised strong objections regarding the admissibility of Blessing CEO's statements given under caution, citing the lack of video recordings or proper legal endorsements, Justice Dipeolu dismissed the objections and admitted the documents into evidence. The case has been adjourned to 9 June 2026 for the bail decision, with the substantive trial scheduled to resume on 22 June 2026.