A prosecution witness has told a Lagos court that he paid social media influencer Blessing Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, the sum of ₦69.15 million for a five-year lease of a property she allegedly did not own.
Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, the first prosecution witness, testified on Monday, October 12, 2026, before Justice R. A. Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja.
He told the court that the money was paid in connection with a property located at No. 1 Tunbosun Osobu Street, Lekki, Lagos, which Blessing CEO allegedly presented as belonging to her.
According to the charge, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that on or about March 21, 2025, Blessing CEO induced Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited to pay the ₦69,150,000 by falsely representing that she owned the property and was leasing it to the company for five years.
Okeigwe said trouble started when a man identified as Mr Tom arrived at the premises with police officers and some of the clinic’s workers were arrested.
“I informed the defendant, and she claimed she did not know Mr Tom. I paid ₦100,000 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,” the witness told the court.
He further alleged that the influencer collected money from him and another person in respect of the same property.
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. She pleaded not guilty.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
