D’banj arrested,detained over N-power fraud allegations

According to an exclusive reports from PREMIUM TIMES,the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested and detained Oladapo Oyebanji, more known by his stage name,D’banj. 

The musician was arrested and detained on  Tuesday,December 6th, after ICPC operatives closed in on him on allegations of fraud. 

Sources revealed that he had been invited several times to surrender himself at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja,Nigeria. 

D’banj, insiders also revealed that he had dodged the summons for weeks, claiming to be overseas for scheduled concerts each time he was invited to appear for interrogation over the allegations.

The pop star, a wealthy Nigerian celebrity, is accused of fraudulently diverting hundreds of naira earmarked by the Nigerian government for N-Power project, an empowerment programme set up by the Nigerian government in 2016 to address youth unemployment and increase social development.

Investigators alleged that D’banj had worked with some compromised government officials to introduce ghost beneficiaries into the payroll of the scheme. The stipend that was  paid to those beneficiaries are then paid to accounts that have now allegedly been linked to the pop star.

After the musician failed to show up for interrogation despite multiple invitations, the ICPC moved to arrest him anywhere in Nigeria and abroad, forcing him to show up at the commission’s office on Tuesday.

On arrival, D’banj was subjected to a prolonged interrogation 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.

ICPC might approach the court on Wednesday,December 7th,for an extended remand order to enable the agency complete its investigation before charging the musician to court.

The spokesperson for the ICPC, Azuka Ogugua, could not be reached to comment on the story. She is said to be attending a programme abroad. Being in detention, the musician too could not be reached for comment. 

D’banj, 42, also known as the Kokomaster, was born on 9 June, 1980 in Zaria in Kaduna State, north-west Nigeria, to a military officer who commanded an artillery regiment and a businesswoman from Shagamu in Ogun State (South-west Nigeria), his profile on Wikipedia says.

The musician has twins as siblings — Taiwo and Kehinde Oyebanjo.

A songwriter, singer, rapper and television personality, D’banj has been active in the vibrant Nigerian music scene since 2004. He sings afrobeat, hip pop, pop, and R&B.