Controversial Nigerian relationship coach and social media personality, Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, has admitted that she falsely claimed to have cancer to solicit donations from members of the public, disclosing that she raised N13 million through the campaign.
Blessing confessed in an interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), explaining how pressure over a financial dispute and fear of embarrassment influenced her decision.
She said she had undergone a medical check-up during which doctors discovered a lump in her breast, but the finding was not cancerous.
However, she admitted deliberately presenting the condition as cancer to attract public sympathy and financial assistance.
“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. So, I took advantage of that,” she said.
The social media personality explained that she initially gave the impression that she wanted to sell some of her personal belongings, including her car and house, before her fans encouraged her to share her account details so they could support her.
According to her, donations began coming in until VDM publicly questioned her claims and demanded evidence of her diagnosis, causing contributions to stop.
She also claimed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been pressuring her to repay money owed to a man, warning she could be publicly exposed and charged if she failed to do so.
Explaining her decision to stage the cancer story, Blessing said she feared the embarrassment that could follow and wanted to raise money without directly asking the public for financial assistance.
She admitted that the fundraising campaign generated N13 million, describing her actions as an emotional game and expressing regret over the deception.
“I am not proud of what I did. I was able to raise N13 million from the whole cancer drama,” she said.
The confession comes months after the influencer faced public scrutiny over her cancer claims and the authenticity of medical documents circulated during the fundraising campaign.
In June 2026, the EFCC arraigned her before the Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged N13 million cancer donation fraud. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The commission had accused her of obtaining money under false pretences and presenting a falsified medical report in connection with the fundraising campaign.
Her latest admission has renewed attention to the controversy surrounding the donations and the ongoing legal proceedings.
