By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has fixed June 9, 2026, to rule on the bail application of self-styled relationship therapist Blessing Nkiruka Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, who is standing trial over an alleged ₦36 million property fraud.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu fixed the date after hearing submissions from counsel in the matter. 
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 exercise its discretion and grant the defendant bail on liberal terms.
However, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Suleiman Suleiman, opposed the application. He told the court that the Commission had filed a 28-paragraph counter-affidavit dated May 29, 2026, deposed to by its investigating officer, Bufa Regina Okangbe.
“We rely on all the depositions contained therein and the exhibits attached.
“At some point during the course of the investigation, the defendant stopped honouring invitations extended to her by the Commission.
“We urge Your Lordship not to accede to the request of the defence and instead order an accelerated hearing of the matter,” Suleiman submitted.
After hearing arguments from both parties, Justice Dipeolu reserved ruling on the bail application until June 9, 2026.
Earlier, the prosecution called its first witness, EFCC investigator Bufa Regina Okangbe, who narrated how a trail of bank transactions, property records, and witness statements allegedly revealed that the defendant received ₦36 million from the petitioner for a property she did not own.
According to Okangbe, the Commission received a petition that was assigned to her team for investigation. She said a Bank Verification Number (BVN) search conducted on the defendant revealed several bank accounts linked to her.
“Following this, letters of investigation were sent to the banks, while another letter was forwarded to the Lagos State Land Bureau to determine whether the property belonged to the defendant.
According to her, ₦25 million was transferred into the defendant’s GTBank account, while an additional ₦11 million was paid into her Access Bank account for the lease of a property located at No. 1B Tunbosun Osobu Street, Lekki, Lagos.
She further testified that an analysis of the defendant’s bank accounts revealed subsequent transfers, including ₦8 million to Mr and Mrs Osobu, ₦1.9 million to Beauty City by Lekki, ₦11 million to Lina Uzoma Okoro, the defendant’s mother, and ₦15 million to Kenneth Emeka Onuora.
Under cross-examination, the witness stated that the Federal Republic of Nigeria, being the complainant in the criminal proceedings, was not privy to any settlement arrangement allegedly entered into between the defendant and the petitioner.
She also told the court that she was unaware of any attempt by the defendant to refund ₦24 million to the petitioner, as claimed by the defence.
According to the witness, the petitioner had already commenced renovation work on the property before its owner, Tunbosun Osobu, allegedly appeared and ejected them from the premises.
Justice Dipeolu subsequently adjourned the matter until June 22, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
The EFCC is prosecuting Okoro on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing.
One of the counts 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.”
