Nigerian singer, Oladapo Oyebanji, better known by his stage name, D’banj, has been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission, (ICPC).
The singer’s arrest came after several weeks after he failed to appear for interrogations from the agency over the fraud allegations.
Dbanj, according to Premium Times, was arrested on Tuesday after ICPC operatives closed in on him, forcing him to surrender himself at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
The agency accused the pop star of fraudulently diverting hundreds of millions of naira earmarked by the Nigerian government for N-Power project, an empowerment program set up by the Nigerian government in 2016 to address youth unemployment and increase social development.
It was gathered that D’banj allegedly connive with some government officials to introduce ghost beneficiaries into the payroll of the scheme.
The stipend paid to those beneficiaries are then paid to accounts that have now allegedly been linked to the pop star.
Despite the multiple invitations, the musician failed to show up for interrogation which led the ICPC to move for his arrest, 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.
He was also denied administrative bail, as the agency feels the musician could not be trusted to attend his trial if released on bail.
Sources said 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.
The spokesperson for the ICPC, Azuka Ogugua, could not be reached to comment for this story. She is said to be attending a programme abroad. Being in detention, the musician too could not be reached for comment.