By Desire Emmanuel
An acclaimed social media influencer, Blessing Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, is enmeshed in a fresh N69.1 million fraud saga as she was on Tuesday, June 9, arraigned at a Lagos court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Blessing CEO was last month arraigned by the same anti graft agency over another N36 million fraud allegation and incidentally, she was granted a N10 million bail by another court on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC brought her before Justice R.A. Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N69.15 million.
At the commencement of the proceedings, prosecution counsel, C.C.Okezie, urged the court to proceed with the arraignment, arguing that she had been duly served with the charge.
However, defence counsel, Nkama Nneka, informed the court that service of the charge had only recently been effected.
In his ruling, Justice Oshodi held that the arraignment should proceed in accordance with the law, hence the charges were subsequently read to the defendant.
One of the charges against her reads: “That you, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, on or about March 21, 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, induced Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited to confer a benefit of N69,150,000 on you.
“This is under the representation that the property located at No. 1 Tunbosun Osobu Street, Lekki, belonged to you and was leased to the company for a period of five years, a representation you knew to be false, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(2) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to her.
In view of this, Okezie asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand her in EFCC custody pending her scheduled arraignment before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Consequently, Justice Oshodi remanded her in EFCC custody and adjourned the matter till July 16 for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.
In another case of alleged N36 million fraud, Justice Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, on Tuesday granted her bail in the sum of ₦10 million with two sureties in like sum.
The judge said one of the sureties must be a family member and is required to provide proof of employment, Bank Verification Number (BVN), National Identification Number (NIN), and a valid phone number.
The sureties must also submit a valid international passport, tax clearance certificates for the last two years, and six passport photographs
