The Nigeria Police Force has commenced an investigation into claims made by controversial relationship therapist Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, following a petition filed by social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM).

VDM disclosed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) approved his petition for investigation amid growing controversy surrounding Blessing CEO’s earlier assertion that she was battling stage four cancer.

The issue began on March 25, 2026, when Blessing CEO posted a viral video on Instagram in which she tearfully claimed she had been diagnosed with advanced cancer. In the video, she appeared with visible hair loss, which she attributed to the illness. She also announced plans to auction some of her properties to fund her treatment.

However, doubts emerged after the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Delta State chapter, distanced itself from a histology report circulating online and linked to her claims. The association stated that the document had allegedly been altered from an original report belonging to another patient diagnosed with breast cancer.

The report had been shared by Blessing CEO as evidence to support her appeal for financial assistance from the public.

Following widespread backlash and accusations of document manipulation, she later retracted her claim, stating in an interview, “I don’t have stage four cancer. That was a miscommunication.” She also revealed that she received a total of ₦13 million in donations before deactivating her social media account.

Reacting to the development, VDM said he was compelled to file the petition after personally donating to her based on the initial claim. In a video shared on his Instagram page, he explained that he was moved by compassion after watching her emotional appeal.

“I believed her because she shaved her hair and I felt compassion. On that very day, I didn’t have anything left in my account, but I still transferred money to her,” he said.

He expressed disappointment over the incident, noting that it could undermine support for individuals genuinely battling serious illnesses.

“There are a lot of people living with cancer. How can someone come out and joke with something like this?” he added.

VDM confirmed that the petition has now been taken up by the police, marking the beginning of a formal investigation into the matter.