Nigerian social media personality Blessing Nkiruka Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, has reportedly lost her second son, Bryan, while in custody over an alleged ₦69.15 million property fraud case.
The development was disclosed on Friday through a fundraising appeal by Amira Agiye, head of the Isaamira Love Foundation, which called for financial assistance to help Blessing CEO meet her bail conditions and address outstanding financial obligations connected to the case. A voice recording attributed to Blessing also circulated in which she said she had lost her son while in custody.
According to the reports, Bryan died following an asthma attack. Blessing said in the audio recording that her son had been “full of life” and that she had not been able to pay her last respects because she remained in custody.
The loss comes months after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned Blessing CEO before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja over allegations involving ₦69.15 million.
The EFCC alleged that in March 2025, she obtained the money from Hope Chiropractic Health Clinic Limited by falsely representing that she could lease a Lekki property to the company. Blessing pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In July, Justice Rahman Oshodi granted her bail in the sum of ₦20 million with two sureties in like sum. The court also required the sureties to provide three years of bank statements or evidence of fixed deposits worth at least ₦20 million each, while directing that the defendant and sureties undergo the required screening.
Reports indicate that she remained in custody because the bail conditions had not been fulfilled.
Following news of her son’s death, the Isaamira Love Foundation appealed for ₦56 million. The organisation said ₦20 million was required to meet the bail conditions, while another ₦36 million was intended to settle money allegedly owed to people involved in the case.
However, the fundraising appeal has itself become controversial.
Actress Doris Ogala warned members of the public against sending money to the fundraiser, saying Blessing CEO had not authorised the appeal. Ogala said she contacted Blessing, who allegedly told her that she was unaware of the fundraising effort and had not given anyone permission to solicit money on her behalf.
The Isaamira Foundation, however, maintained in its appeal that it was acting with Blessing’s consent. The conflicting accounts have therefore created uncertainty over the status of the fundraising campaign.
The controversy has unfolded alongside widespread reactions to the reported death of Bryan. Some social media users and public figures have expressed sympathy for Blessing and her family, while others have questioned the fundraising effort and referred to controversies surrounding the influencer’s previous public activities.
The case itself remains before the courts, and the allegations against Blessing CEO have not been established as fact. She has pleaded not guilty to the ₦69.15 million allegations.
Blessing is also facing other legal proceedings. Channels Television reported in June that the EFCC had separately arraigned her before the Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged ₦13 million fraud involving claims surrounding donations for medical treatment. She denied the allegations in court.
For now, the reported death of Bryan has added a deeply personal dimension to the legal difficulties confronting the social media personality.
As discussions continue online, the conflicting claims over the fundraising appeal have also prompted calls for transparency regarding who authorised it, how donations would be handled and whether the money being sought is genuinely required to secure Blessing CEO’s release.
