Court reserves ruling on Blessing CEO’s bail

The Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday reserved ruling on the bail application filed by social media influencer, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, who is standing trial over an alleged N36m fraud, till June 9.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission disclosed this in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.

According to the statement, Justice D.I. Dipeolu adjourned the matter until June 9, 2026, for ruling on the bail application and June 22, 2026, for continuation of trial.

The anti-graft agency had arraigned Nkiruka on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N36m.

During the hearing of the bail application, counsel for the defendant, P.I. Nwafuru, urged the court to grant his client bail on the most liberal terms.

Opposing the application, prosecution counsel, S.I. Suleiman, informed the court that the EFCC had filed a 28-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by the investigating officer, Bufa Regina Okangbe, on May 29, 2026.

“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 listening to arguments from both parties, Justice Dipeolu reserved ruling on the bail application until June 9, 2026.

Earlier in the proceedings, the prosecution presented its first witness, Bufa Regina Okangbe, an investigator with the EFCC, who testified on the agency’s investigation into the matter.

Okangbe told the court that the Commission received a petition and subsequently carried out investigations, including a Bank Verification Number search, requests for bank records, and inquiries to the Lagos State Land Bureau and the Corporate Affairs Commission.

She stated that findings from the Lagos State Land Bureau showed that the property at the centre of the dispute belonged to Mr Tunbosun Osobu and not the defendant.

The witness further testified that the petitioner paid N36m through company accounts for the lease of a property located at No. 1B Tunbosun Osobu Street, Lekki, Lagos.

She added that analysis of the defendant’s bank accounts revealed a series of transfers to different individuals after the funds were received.

During the proceedings, the prosecution tendered several documents, including the petition, statements made by the defendant, tenancy documents and bank statements.

Defence counsel, however, objected to the admissibility of some of the documents, particularly the defendant’s statements, arguing that there was no indication that a legal practitioner was present during the recording process.

The prosecution opposed the objection, maintaining that the law only requires the presence of a legal practitioner or any person chosen by the defendant.

In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu overruled the objections and admitted the documents in evidence as exhibits.

The judge held 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 representative of the Legal Aid Council, a civil society representative, or any other person chosen by the suspect.

Under cross-examination, the witness said the Federal Republic of Nigeria was not privy to any settlement arrangement allegedly entered into between the defendant and the petitioner.

She also stated that she was unaware of any effort by the defendant to refund N24m to the petitioner, as claimed by the defence.

The matter was subsequently adjourned to June 9, 2026, for ruling on the bail application and June 22, 2026, for continuation of trial.