The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are drilling popular relationship therapist and social media personality, Blessing Okoro Nkiruka, popularly known as Blessing CEO, over allegations linked to a controversial cancer fundraising campaign.
An investigation by EFCC followed a petition against the influencer that was filed by human rights activist and lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye, on behalf of Mrs. Deborah Mbara, a breast cancer survivor from Delta State.
The petitioner alleged that Blessing CEO had altered a medical report belonging to Mrs. Mbara, thereby using it to solicit donations from Nigerians after claiming publicly she was battling with Stage 4 cancer.
The authenticity of the medical documents that circulated on social media grew after medical experts alleged that the histology report used in the fundraising campaign originally belonged to another patient.
The incident has sparked heated debate on social media, with many Nigerians calling for stricter oversight of online fundraising campaigns involving celebrities and influencers.
Sources said the EFCC has begun reviewing the petition and investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged fundraising scheme to determine whether any financial crime was committed.
As of the time of filing this report, Blessing CEO had yet to officially react to the allegations, while the EFCC had not released a detailed public statement on the outcome of its investigation.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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