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Justice Yellim Bogoro of the High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday ordered that controversial social media influencer and self-styled relationship therapist, Blessing Nkiruka Okoro, also known as Blessing CEO, be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Ikoyi, pending the start of her trial scheduled for 24 September 2026.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned her on a six-count charge involving alleged obtaining by false pretence, forgery, possession of forged documents, fraudulent conversion, concealment, and retention of proceeds of unlawful activity.
The EFCC alleged that she collected about N13 million from members of the public after falsely claiming she was suffering from a terminal illness, including breast cancer, and seeking financial assistance.
At the arraignment, EFCC counsel H.U. Kofanaisa told the court that the Commission had filed the charges and asked that they be read to the defendant so she could enter her plea.
The court granted the request, and the charges were read to her. She pleaded not guilty to all six counts.
The prosecution further alleged that she fraudulently obtained N13 million by claiming she had been diagnosed with a left breast lump and invasive ductal carcinoma with lobular features.
She was also accused of forging a medical document titled “Histopathology/Cytopathology Report”, allegedly issued by Xinus Medical Diagnostics, and using it to obtain money from the public.
In addition, the EFCC accused her of using and possessing the alleged forged report, concealing the origin of the N13 million as proceeds of unlawful activity, converting the funds for personal use, and retaining them in her GTBank account.
After her plea, the prosecution asked the court to set a trial date and requested that she be remanded in custody.
Her lawyer, Stanley Ofoegbu, informed the court that although no formal bail application had been filed, he sought bail orally or, alternatively, a short adjournment.
Justice Bogoro rejected the oral bail request and adjourned the case to 24 September 2026 for trial.
The judge then ordered her remand in the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the commencement of proceedings.
“This matter is adjourned to September 24, 2026, for trial.
The defendant is to be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service,” the judge ruled.
The ruling came less than 24 hours after another Lagos Federal High Court granted her bail in a separate fraud case.
On 9 June 2026, Justice Deinde Dipeolu granted her bail of N10 million with two sureties in a N36 million fraud case filed by the EFCC.
On the same day, she was also arraigned before Justice R.A. Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja, on a two-count charge alleging she defrauded Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Ltd of N69.15 million.
She pleaded not guilty and was remanded pending determination of her bail application, which is scheduled for hearing on 16 July 2026.
