N36m fraud trial: Blessing CEO misses court over reported illness

The trial of social media influencer and relationship therapist Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, was on Wednesday stalled after her lawyer informed the court that she was unwell in prison custody.

Blessing CEO is standing trial before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on a two-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over allegations of obtaining money by false pretence and stealing N36 million.

When the case came up for continuation of hearing, her counsel, P.I. Nwafuru, told the court that officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, had informed him that his client was ill and therefore unable to attend the proceedings.

The defence lawyer consequently applied for an adjournment, assuring the court that a medical report detailing her condition would be presented at the next hearing.

Following the application, Justice D.I. Dipeolu adjourned the case until Monday, July 20, 2026, for the continuation of trial.

One of the charges against the defendant reads:

“That you, OKORO BLESSING NKIRUKA, between July 14 and 17, 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did obtain the sum of N36,000,000.00 (Thirty-six Million Naira) from Mrs. Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye under the false pretence of leasing a six-bedroom detached duplex situated at No. 1B, Tunbosun Osobu Street, Off Kuboye Road, Lekki, Lagos State, which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”