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A prosecution witness has told the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, that he paid ₦69.15 million for a property allegedly represented to him as belonging to social media influencer Blessing Nkiruka Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO.
The witness, Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, made the statement on Monday while being cross-examined by defence counsel during the continuation of the trial before Justice R.A. Oshodi.
Okeigwe, who testified as Prosecution Witness One (PW1), said Blessing CEO represented herself as the property owner through WhatsApp conversations and physical interactions.
The doctor of chiropractic told the court that he was not a lawyer and did not understand legal terminology but maintained that he relied on the defendant’s representations, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents and other materials presented in court.
“Blessing presented herself, claiming to be the owner of the property, and falsely collected money from me. She impersonated the owner of the property,” he told the court.
The allegations remain claims made by the prosecution witness and have not been established as proven facts in the proceedings described.
Witness Claims He Spent Over ₦100m On Renovation
Okeigwe told the court that he had filed a separate civil suit against the defendant to recover his money.
He said he also spent more than ₦100 million renovating the property to meet the requirements of the medical facility he intended to establish there.
According to the witness, the criminal case concerns the alleged ₦69.15 million payment for the property, while the civil suit seeks recovery of renovation expenses and damages.
During cross-examination, Okeigwe said he sent the lease agreement to his lawyer but maintained that the lawyer was not involved in the negotiations.
When asked whether Exhibit C was the only evidence he had submitted, the witness disagreed, insisting that he had presented other materials to support his claims.
Court Adjourns Trial Until January 2027
Blessing CEO pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the report of the proceedings.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until January 12, 2027, for the prosecution to call further witnesses.
The next hearing is expected to continue the prosecution’s presentation of evidence in the case.
