By Uche Amunike
Nigerian relationship expert and social media influencer, Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, has finally regained her freedom from the Nigerian Correctional Services, after being remanded for three weeks for alleged libel and defamation by the Lagos High Court.
Recall that Blessing CEO was remanded on April 1st 2023 for allegedly cyber-bullying Folashade Samuels, sister of the late Bimbo Ogbonna who was married to auto dealer, IVD.
Apart from cyber bullying, she was also arraigned on a six count charge of alleged libel and the exhibition of uncensored movies which fetched her a N10 million bail. She had remained in detention for three weeks because of her inability to meet with her bail conditions.
Blessing CEO was arraigned by the Nigerian Police Force before Justice Yelim Bogoro of the Federal High Court. On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, her lawyer filed a bail application before Justice Tijjani Ringim of the Federal High Court in Lagos. The Police Force did not oppose the bail application, but however urged the court to use its discretion.
She was therefore granted bail in absence of opposition and was admitted to N10 million bail each with two sureties in like sum.
Before she got her freedom, a Delta state government appointee made a plea to the judge to reduce the bail conditions given to the embattled blessing CEO. The aide, Mr Ossai Success, is a Special Assistant to the Delta State governor and has submitted that even though he is not a fan of Blessing, his plea was that the court should show her mercy as she must have learnt a lesson from her ordeal.
According to Ossai, ever since the court stated her bail conditions, none of her family members, fans or friends have come to her rescue and that she was going through lots of pain. He stated that even though he had criticized her on numerous occasions concerning her posts, it did not mean that he wishes her pain.
His words: ‘I am not a blessing CEO fan but the pain she is going through is too much. The truth is that I have criticized her countless times on her post but that doesn’t mean I wish her pain. I know she must have offended a lot of people and I also know that she has learned a lesson from her situation. Since her bail conditions, none of her family members, friends, and fans has been able to go for her rescue. It’s so unfortunate that Instagram ‘relationship expert’ Blessing Okoro has been abandoned by her friends and fans. Her fans that have been praising her for all her posts suddenly turned their back on her. There are a lot of lessons to learn from her tragedy. I am pleading that her bail conditions be reduced so people can go for her bail.’
The self-styled relationship expert has however regained her freedom and has posted on her Instagram handle for the first time in three weeks, thanking her fans and confirming her release.
She posted: ‘Child of Grace. Thank you lovers. Words fail me, my hands still shaking. Long speech coming…’
