Nigeria’s Blessing CEO admits lying about cancer
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bénin Web TV
Nigerian content creator Blessing Okoro, known as Blessing CEO, admitted in an interview broadcast on 12 November that she falsely presented a benign lump as breast cancer to collect donations. The fundraiser raised 13 million naira, and she is contesting fraud charges related to the funds in court.
Nigerian content creator Blessing Okoro, known as Blessing CEO, admitted to falsely presenting a non-cancerous breast lump as cancer in order to obtain donations. She made the admission in an interview with Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, broadcast on Thursday 12 November.
Blessing CEO explained that a medical examination had detected a lump without establishing a cancer diagnosis. She nevertheless claimed to have breast cancer and suggested that she might sell her car and house to finance her treatment, before internet users asked for her bank details and began sending money. She said contributions stopped after VeryDarkMan asked her to produce the medical report she had referred to.
The creator said in April that the fundraiser had raised 13 million naira, while contesting fraud allegations and referring to a possible misunderstanding over the diagnosis. In June, the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), responsible for prosecuting economic and financial offences, brought her before the Federal High Court in Lagos on six charges linked to the fundraiser. The prosecution alleges, among other things, that a falsified medical report was used to solicit donations, while Blessing CEO pleaded not guilty.
