By Emmanuella Opara | November 13th 2026
KEY POINTS
- Social media personality Blessing CEO has admitted falsely claiming she had breast cancer to attract donations from the public.
- She said a medical examination found a breast lump, but it was not cancerous.
- She previously disclosed receiving N13m in donations during the controversy.
- The EFCC has charged her with obtaining money by false pretence and forgery in connection with the fundraising.
- She has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations remain before the court.
MAIN STORY
Social media personality Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, has admitted that she falsely claimed to have breast cancer to obtain financial donations from members of the public.
She made the admission during an interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, in a video shared on Thursday.
Blessing CEO said she had undergone a medical examination which revealed a lump in her breast, but the finding was not cancerous. She admitted that she deliberately presented the lump as cancerous to attract financial support.
She explained that the decision followed financial pressure arising from a dispute involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and a man identified as Dr Onuoha Okeigwe.
According to her, she initially suggested that she might sell personal belongings, including her car and house. People subsequently encouraged her to provide her bank details so they could contribute money.
She said donations came from members of the public until VeryDarkMan challenged her cancer claims and demanded evidence to support the appeal. The contributions reportedly stopped after his intervention.
Blessing CEO said she was not proud of her actions.
The admission reverses her earlier position during the controversy, which began in March after she announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and appealed for money to fund treatment.
In an April interview with content creator Egungun of Lagos, she acknowledged receiving N13m in donations but maintained that she did not owe anyone an apology. At the time, she attributed the confusion surrounding her diagnosis to possible miscommunication and said she was still seeking clarification from her doctors.
The Delta State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association later disowned a histology report circulated in connection with the claim. The association said the report had been issued to another patient, Deborah Mbara, and not Blessing CEO.
The EFCC subsequently arraigned her on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and other alleged offences relating to the N13m raised from the public. The commission alleged that she used a falsified medical report to solicit donations.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges. The allegations have not been determined by the court.
The cancer-related case is one of three fraud cases involving Blessing CEO. In a separate matter, she was arraigned over an alleged N36m fraud connected to a property transaction and was granted N10m bail in June.
She is also facing trial over an alleged N69.15m fraud involving a five-year lease of a property in Lekki, Lagos. The EFCC alleged that she presented the property as her own before collecting the money. The Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja granted her N20m bail in July.
During proceedings on October 26, Okeigwe, a prosecution witness, told the court that Blessing CEO allegedly misrepresented herself as the property owner before receiving payment. He maintained during cross-examination that he relied on her representations, including WhatsApp conversations and other documents.
Okeigwe also told the court that he had filed a separate civil suit to recover more than N100m allegedly spent renovating the property. The criminal case was adjourned until January 12, 2027, for the prosecution to call additional witnesses.
Blessing CEO was released from custody in late October after spending months at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
THE ISSUES
The admission has changed the basis of the controversy from uncertainty over her medical condition to an acknowledgement that she knowingly misrepresented the diagnosis while seeking financial assistance.
The case also involves the use of medical information and public sympathy to solicit donations. The NMA’s disowning of the report circulated during the controversy had already cast doubt on the document used to support the cancer claim.
However, her admission during the interview does not replace the judicial process. The EFCC’s charges, including the allegations of forgery and obtaining money by false pretence, remain subject to determination by the court.
The other property-related cases are separate proceedings and should not be treated as established offences while the trials are ongoing.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Honestly, I do not have cancer. The truth is, I had gone for a check-up a few months ago and they found a lump on my breast, but it was not cancerous.” Blessing CEO said.
“So I took advantage of that, came to the media, cried for help and said that the lump was cancerous. I played an emotional game. I wanted funds, but I didn’t come out directly to ask for funds.” Blessing CEO
WHAT’S NEXT
The cancer-related charges and the two other fraud cases remain before the courts. In the Lekki property case, proceedings are scheduled to resume on January 12, 2027, when the prosecution is expected to call additional witnesses.
BOTTOM LINE
Blessing CEO has admitted that her breast cancer claim was false and that she used it to attract donations. The admission comes as she faces three separate EFCC fraud cases, all of which remain subject to judicial determination.
