EFCC receive petition against Blessing CEO over alleged fundraising scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has become the focus of a growing public controversy following reports of a petition filed against popular social media influencer Blessing CEO.

According to available information, the petition was submitted by the family of Deborah Mbara, a cancer survivor, who allege that the influencer engaged in cyberbullying, forgery, and the orchestration of a multi-million naira fundraising scam.

A source within the EFCC confirmed on Friday that the commission has officially received the petition, indicating that the matter is now on its radar.

The petition, dated April 8, 2026, was filed by the law firm S.M. Anyanwu & Co. (Chieze Chambers) on behalf of Mbara.

It alleged that Blessing CEO, whose real name is Blessing Okoro Nkiruka, exploited Deborah’s health crisis to defraud well-meaning Nigerians of over N300 million.

According to the family, the influencer altered Deborah’s genuine medical report to falsely claim she was battling Stage 4 cancer.

“The fraudster used the altered report to defraud innocent Nigerians who donated well over ₦300 million for fake Stage 4 cancer,” the petition reads in part.

The family’s lawyer described the ordeal as painful, adding that while Deborah was fighting for her life, Blessing CEO allegedly used her identity and falsified medical data to solicit donations into private accounts, none of which were remitted to the patient.

The petition also accused the influencer of cyberbullying Deborah and her relatives when they began raising questions about discrepancies in the fundraising campaign.

A copy of the document bears a “received” stamp from the EFCC chairman’s office at the agency’s Abuja headquarters, also dated April 8, 2026.

The family also demanded the influencer’s immediate arrest and prosecution for what they call a “heartless” exploitation of a life-threatening illness.

The controversy first erupted in January, when Blessing CEO announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and later shared a medical report claiming stage 4 cancer.

The report was allegedly issued by Xinus Medical Diagnostics and signed by a consultant pathologist, O.A. Odigwe.

However, the diagnostic centre refuted the claim, stating that the original document had been issued to Deborah in May 2025 and had subsequently been altered.

Deborah, a makeup artist based in Delta, earlier detailed how Blessing CEO allegedly obtained her medical report.