EFCC arraign Blessing CEO for alleged 36 million naira fraud

Nigeria anti-corruption joinbodi, di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), don carry social media influencer, Blessing CEO go court for two count charges of rent fraud wey reach ₦36 million.

Blessing CEO wey her real name na Blessing Okoro Nkiruka, tanda for court to ansa case from July 2024, wia di prosecution accuse am say she collect di money from one Mrs Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye say she dey rent six bedroom duplex for Lekki give di woman.

Blessing CEO plead not guilty to both charges even as her lawyer, PI Nwafor tell di court say she don pay part of di money back to di woman and ask di court to comot di case wen dem don pay fully.

E say, "We get application to make. Di defendant go meet di nominal complainant and give am ₦24 million out of di ₦36 million and we dey ask for court adjournment so we go fit arrange di remaining money to pay back. Di nominal complaint tok say if we pay di money back, she go ask EFCC make e drop di case against am."

Di two count charges include:

"Say you, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka between July 14 and 17, 2024 for Lagos collect di sum of ₦36 million from Mrs Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye wit false pretence say you dey rent one six-bedroom detached duplex for No. 1B, Tunbosun Osobu Street, Off Kuboye Road, Lekki, Lagos State give am wey you know say na lie. Like dat you commit offence against Section 1(3) of di Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006."

"Say you, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka between July 14 and 17, 2024 for Lagos fraudulently turn Mrs Ifeyinwa Nonye Okote ₦36 million for your own use wey be offence against Section 383 and dey punishable under Section 390 of di Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of di Federation of Nigeria, 2004."

However, di judge for di case, Justice DI Dipeolu squash di idea of paying back di money to comot di mata for court, say no be di woman wey dem collect money from be di complainant, say na di federal govment.

So e leave her for di hand of EFCC till she meet her bail conditions and her lawyer tok say na on Thursday dem get di charge and dem dey try file bail application.

Dis na even as di prosecution counsel for di case, SI Suleiman, bin request make di court lock di woman for inside correctional facility till di trial start.

Di court adjourn di mata till June 5, 2026 wen di trial go start.

Dis no go be di first time wey Blessing CEO go enta kasala.

For April, plenti Nigerians bin ask EFCC make dem prosecute di self-proclaimed relationship sabi pesin ontop accuse say she make false claim say she get stage 4 cancer and receive monetary donations from Nigerians.

According to di influencer, Nigerians bin donate 13 million naira for her afta she come out to solicit funds.

Wen di video of her stage 4 cancer claim go viral, some Nigerians no believe am and dem request say make she post her medical results on social media, while some express pity for her alleged condition.

For one viral interview wit internet personality Egungun of Lagos, Blessing CEO say na miscommunication happun wey make am believe say she get stage 4 cancer.

EFCC source wey bin no want make we mention im name bin tell BBC News Pidgin say, "As an organisation, weneva mata like dis come up, we no dey work on social media agitation, frenzy and all of dat. We always want make pesin place petition bifor us wey we fit work on.

"Independently, we fit do our own intelligence, but certainly we no dey always go by social media frenzy, agitation and all of dat.

"If we arrest am, which information we go place bifor di court if we need to prosecute am? We be veri organised agency."

Who be Blessing CEO

Blessing Okoro, wey pipo sabi as Blessing CEO na influencer and self-proclaimed relationship expert. Dem born am for Onicha Local Govment Area of Ebonyi State.

Netizens sabi her for her bold and controversial advice on relationships, love, and sex on social media platforms.

Blessing na 37 years old woman and she marry her first husband at di age of 18 for 2010 and dem born two children.

But she later divorce her husband at di age of 21.

She tok say she endure three years of serious domestic violence for her marriage.

For April 2019, Blessing CEO bin post fotos say she don build mansion for Enugu as single mama but di real owner, businessman Onye Eze, expose di lie and arrest her.

She later make video to apologise publicly say no be she get di property.

Blessing CEO also dey entangled in di relationship controversy between Ikechukwu Darlington Ogbonna popularly known as IVD and im wife.

Afta IVD wife Bimbo die for October 2022, e no too tey wey Blessing and IVD begin date. E later propose to am.