D’banj Arrested, Detained Over Alleged Fraud

Nigerian songwriter, singer, rapper and television personality, Oladapo Oyebanji, popularly known as D’banj, has been arrested and detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

According to the reports from Premium Times, the singer was arrested and detained on Tuesday, Nov. 6, after ICPC operatives closed in on him, forcing him to surrender himself at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja. He had reportedly failed to show up for interrogations despite several invitations, claiming to have a slated concert abroad.

The 42-year old pop star, is accused of fraudulently diverting millions of naira allocated by the Nigerian government for N-power project, an empowerment programme set up by the government in 2016 to address youth unemployment and increase social development.

Investigators alleged that D’banj conspired with some compromised government officials to introduce ghost beneficiaries into the payroll of the scheme. The account is used to receive the stipends meant for beneficiaries, which has now been linked to the musician.

The Report says that D’banj was subjected to a lengthy questioning session after which he was detained. His plea for administrative bail was rejected by officials who said the musician could not be trusted to attend his trial if released on bail.

Premium Times sources told them that the ICPC might approach the court on Wednesday for an extended remand order to enable the agency complete its investigation before charging the musician to court.

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