A prosecution witness has told the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, how he allegedly paid N69.15 million to social media influencer Blessing Nkiruka Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, for a five-year lease of a Lekki property she allegedly claimed to own.
The witness, Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, who testified as PW1, gave the account on Monday, October 12, during the continuation of Blessing CEO’s trial before Justice R. A. Oshodi.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Blessing CEO was arraigned by its Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 on June 9, 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing involving N69,150,000.
One of the charges alleges that on or about March 21, 2025, she fraudulently induced Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited to pay N69,150,000 under the representation that a property at No. 1 Tunbosun Osobu Street, Lekki, belonged to her and was being leased to the company for five years.
The alleged offence is punishable under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act.
Blessing CEO pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During his testimony, Okeigwe told the court that he contacted the defendant after an incident involving a man identified as Mr Tom, who reportedly arrived at the property with police officers and had some of the workers arrested.
The witness said he informed Blessing CEO about the incident, but she allegedly denied knowing Tom and maintained that she owned the property.
“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 told the court.
Okeigwe also identified WhatsApp messages in which the defendant allegedly sent him photographs of the building as evidence of her claimed ownership.
He further testified that he paid additional charges, including agency, legal and caution fees.
The witness maintained that the alleged fraud centred on the defendant’s purported misrepresentation of ownership, despite collecting N69,150,000 from him. He also alleged that she collected money from another person for the same property.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until October 26, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
