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The High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has scheduled June 9, 2026, to deliver its ruling on the bail application filed by self-styled relationship therapist, Blessing Nkiruka Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, who is facing trial over an alleged ₦36 million property fraud.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu fixed the date after hearing arguments from both the defence and the prosecution.
Counsel to the defendant, P.I. Nwafuru, informed the court that the bail application, dated May 15, 2026, was supported by a six-paragraph affidavit and five exhibits. He urged the court to grant his client bail on favourable terms.
However, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Suleiman Suleiman, opposed the application. He told the court that the anti-graft agency had filed a 28-paragraph counter-affidavit on May 29, 2026, sworn to by the investigating officer, Bufa Regina Okangbe.
According to Suleiman, the Commission relied on the contents of the affidavit and the attached exhibits, noting that the defendant had, at one stage, stopped responding to invitations issued during the investigation. He urged the court to reject the bail request and instead order an accelerated hearing of the case.
Following submissions from both parties, Justice Dipeolu reserved ruling on the application until June 9.
During the hearing, the prosecution sought to tender several documents, including the original petition, statements allegedly made by the defendant in December 2025, the tenancy acquisition form, and bank statements belonging to both the petitioner and the defendant.
The defence challenged the admissibility of the defendant’s statements, arguing that there was no indication that a legal practitioner was present during the recording process and that no video evidence of the procedure had been produced.
In response, the prosecution argued that the absence of a lawyer did not automatically render the statements inadmissible and maintained that all bank documents complied with the requirements of the Evidence Act.
Justice Dipeolu dismissed the objections and admitted the documents as evidence. The judge noted that Section 17(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act permits a suspect’s statement to be taken in the presence of a legal practitioner, a Legal Aid representative, a civil society representative, or any other person chosen by the suspect.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until June 22, 2026, to continue the trial.
The EFCC is prosecuting Okoro on two counts relating to obtaining money by false pretence and stealing. Prosecutors allege that she obtained ₦36 million from Mrs Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye by falsely claiming she could lease a six-bedroom detached duplex in Lekki, Lagos. Okoro has denied the allegations.
