Witness Tells Court He Paid ₦69.15m to Blessing CEO for Five-Year Property Lease
Witness Tells Court He Paid ₦69.15m to Blessing CEO for Five-Year Property Lease
Witness Tells Court He Paid ₦69.15m to Blessing CEO for Five-Year Property Lease
A prosecution witness has told the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, how he allegedly paid ₦69.15 million to social media influencer Blessing Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, for a five-year lease of a property she allegedly represented as her own.
The witness, Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, who testified as PW1, gave the account on Monday, October 12, 2026, before Justice R. A. Oshodi during the continuation of the influencer’s trial.
Blessing CEO was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 9, 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing involving ₦69.15 million. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to the first count, the defendant allegedly induced Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited to pay ₦69,150,000 on 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 contrary to Section 1(2) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act.
Testifying before the court, Okeigwe said he contacted the defendant after concerns arose over the property. He alleged that Blessing CEO dismissed his concerns and denied knowing a man identified as Mr Tom, who reportedly arrived at the premises with police officers and had some of the clinic’s workers 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.
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, in connection with the transaction.
The witness maintained that the alleged misrepresentation concerned the defendant’s ownership of the property, despite receiving the ₦69.15 million payment. He also alleged that she collected money from him and another individual in relation to the same property.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until October 26, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
Witness Tells Court He Paid ₦69.15m to Blessing CEO for Five-Year Property Lease
