She made the admission during an interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan, in a video shared on Thursday.
Blessing CEO explained that she resorted to the false cancer claim because of financial pressure arising from a dispute involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a businessman identified as Dr Onuoha Okeigwe.
“The pressure was too much. So what did I do? That was where the cancer drama came in. And because of the pressure, I saw this embarrassment coming. I said to myself, what stunt can I pull? What stunts can I pull? Then I pulled out the cancer,” she said.
She disclosed that although a medical examination had revealed a lump in her breast, the finding was not cancerous. However, she admitted using the discovery to create an emotional appeal for 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, came to the media, cried for help and said that the lump was cancerous. I played an emotional game. I wanted funds, but I didn’t come out directly to ask for funds,” she confessed.
Explaining how the donations started, Blessing CEO said she initially suggested that she might have to sell some of her personal belongings, including her car and house. According to her, members of the public subsequently encouraged her to provide her bank details so they could support her financially.
She said donations began arriving from different individuals until VeryDarkMan challenged her cancer claims and demanded evidence to substantiate the fundraising appeal.
“When I saw the video, immediately he made that video, the donation stopped. The donation paused. So I’m like, what do I do? What do I do? That was where the whole orchestration and resolving and all that stuff came,” she said.
She admitted that she was not proud of her actions.
The confession represents a reversal of her earlier position during the controversy, which began in March when she announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and appealed to the public for financial assistance for treatment.
In April, during an interview with content creator Egungun of Lagos, she disclosed that she had received about ₦13m in donations but maintained that she did not owe anyone an apology. She had also attributed the confusion surrounding her diagnosis to possible miscommunication and said she was seeking clarification from her doctors.
However, the Delta State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association subsequently disowned a histology report circulated in connection with her cancer claims. The association said the report had originally been issued to another patient, Deborah Mbara, and not Blessing CEO.
EFCC Prosecution and Other Fraud Cases
Following the controversy, the EFCC arraigned Blessing CEO on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences, forgery and other alleged offences relating to the ₦13m raised from members of the public.
The commission alleged that she used a falsified medical report to solicit donations. She pleaded not guilty to the charges, which remain before the court.
The cancer-related case is one of three fraud cases involving Blessing CEO being prosecuted by the EFCC.
In a separate matter, she was arraigned over an alleged ₦36m fraud involving a property transaction and reportedly secured bail in the sum of ₦10m in June.
She is also facing trial over an alleged ₦69.15m fraud connected to a five-year lease of a property in Lekki, Lagos, which the EFCC alleged she falsely presented as belonging to her. The Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja granted her ₦20m bail in July.
During proceedings on October 26, a prosecution witness, Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, told the court that Blessing CEO allegedly misrepresented herself as the owner of the property before collecting the money.
PUNCH Online reported on October 27 that Okeigwe maintained during cross-examination that he relied on her representations, including WhatsApp conversations and other documents, before making the payment.
The witness also disclosed that he had instituted a separate civil action to recover more than ₦100m allegedly spent on renovating the property.
The criminal case was adjourned until January 12, 2027, for the prosecution to present additional witnesses.
Blessing CEO has pleaded not guilty to the charges in the separate fraud cases. The allegations remain subject to judicial determination.
