The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned social media influencer and self-styled relationship therapist Blessing CEO over an alleged N36 million fraud.

Blessing CEO, whose real name is Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, was arraigned on Friday before Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to a statement shared on their website, EFCC disclosed that she is facing a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and alleged stealing of N36 million.

During proceedings, defence counsel P.I. Nwafor informed the court that the defendant had already refunded part of the money to the petitioner.

The lawyer said, “We have an application to make. The defendant approached the nominal complainant and refunded N24 million out of the N36 million.

“We are asking for a short adjournment to resolve the outstanding balance. The nominal complainant agreed that if the balance is paid, they can prevail on the EFCC to drop the case.”

However, prosecuting counsel S.I. Suleiman argued that the anti-graft agency was not part of any private settlement discussion between the defendant and the petitioner.

“The complainant here is the Federal Government of Nigeria, and we are here for the arraignment. We urge that the defendant take her plea, as that is the business of the day,” he said.

In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu held that any discussion between the defendant and the nominal complainant would not affect the criminal proceedings before the court.

“The defence and the nominal complainant can have discussions even during the pendency of the charge. It does not affect the proceedings before the court. The defendant will take her plea,” the judge ruled.

According to one of the charges, Blessing CEO allegedly obtained N36 million from one Mrs Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye between July 14 and 17, 2024, under the pretence of leasing a six-bedroom detached duplex located at No. 1B Tunbosun Osobu Street, off Kuboye Road, Lekki, Lagos State.

The EFCC alleged that the representation was false and constituted an offence under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Another charge accused her of fraudulently converting the sum to personal use, contrary to provisions of the Criminal Code Act.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following her plea, the prosecution asked the court to remand her in a correctional facility pending trial.

Her counsel, however, told the court that the defence had only been served with the charges on Thursday and was still preparing a bail application.

He subsequently requested that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody pending perfection of her bail conditions.

Justice Dipeolu granted the application and ordered that Blessing CEO be remanded in EFCC custody.

The matter was adjourned till June 5, 2026, for the commencement of the trial.

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A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the remand of the founder of the Prophetic Victory Voice of Fire Ministry, Pastor Amos Isah, over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old church member.

Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi directed that the 39-year-old cleric be kept in custody pending the submission of his previous bail records.

The decision followed the resumption of the high-profile trial on Thursday.

Isah, whose church is located in the Gwagwalada Area Council, pleaded not guilty to the eight charges brought against him, including rape under the Child’s Rights Act 2003, sexual exploitation, coercion, emotional and psychological abuse, gross indecency, and the abduction of a minor.

The prosecution alleged that the teenage survivor, identified as B.Z.J., was lured by the cleric into the church’s newly constructed auditorium on May 26, 2025.

The charge sheet, marked FCT/HC/CR/467/2024, stated that Isah locked the doors and forcefully had sexual intercourse with the minor without her consent.

Count one of the charges reads, “That you, APOSTLE AMOS ISAH (39 years), male, of Behind Federal Road Safety, Gwagwalada, Abuja, on or about the 26th day of May, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an illegal act to wit: rape. You lured one B.Z.J.

(14 years old), Female, of Plot Gwagwalada, Abuja, into your office at Prophet Victory Voice Fire Ministry International Church, Gwagwalada, Abuja, and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her without her consent. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 31(1) of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003, and punishable under Section 31(2) of the same law.”

Following the alleged assault, the amended charge sheet revealed that Isah reportedly handed the victim N3,000 to purchase medication.

He allegedly followed the gesture with a death threat, vowing to kill the survivor and her entire family if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

The court further heard that the defendant’s actions also constituted gross indecency without consent, contrary to Section 285 of the Penal Code Laws.

Justice Osho-Adebiyi thereafter adjourned the matter until June 30, 2026, for continuation of hearing.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a large consignment of Canadian Loud, a high-potency strain of cannabis, weighing 4,173.5 kilograms, with an estimated street value of N10.43bn at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos.

The agency said the seizure followed months of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and tracking of the shipment, which originated from Toronto, Canada, on March 28, 2026.

In a statement on Wednesday, the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the container was moved by rail to Montreal before being shipped on board the vessel Jakarta Express Voyage, which arrived at Tanger Med Port in Morocco on April 15.

He added that the shipment was later transferred to another vessel, Osaka Voyage, which eventually arrived at the Lagos Port on May 9.

According to the agency, its Marine Intelligence Unit and Tincan Island Strategic Command monitored the consignment for over two months in collaboration with international partners, including the United Kingdom Home Office International Operations, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

“The successful interdiction of the illicit drug consignment followed painstaking intelligence gathering, sustained surveillance, and trailing of the container from its point of departure in Toronto,” the statement partly read.

Babafemi said the drugs were eventually seized on Tuesday, May 12, during a joint examination involving NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.

He explained that the drugs were concealed inside a used Ford bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300 car loaded within the shipping container.

Speaking during the handover of the exhibits by the Customs Service at the port on Wednesday, NDLEA Director of Seaports Operations, Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of inter-agency and international collaboration in combating transnational drug trafficking.

The seizure came just days after NDLEA operatives raided a mansion in Lekki, Lagos, allegedly used as a stash house, where 2,326 kilograms of the same substance, valued at over N5.8bn, were recovered.

Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operation for their professionalism and vigilance.

Marwa said the repeated interceptions indicated a coordinated attempt by international drug syndicates to flood Nigeria with synthetic cannabis strains.

“This second massive seizure in less than a week is a clear message to international syndicates who think they can use our ports as entry points for their illicit trade. The synergy between NDLEA, Customs, and our international partners is yielding results,” he said.

He added that the agency would continue efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks linked to the shipments and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.