JUST IN: ICPC Arrests and Detaines D'banj

BY: News Peddlers

Oladapo Oyebanji aka D'banj

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested and detained Oladapo Oyebanji, better known by his stage name D'banj.

According to sources familiar with the situation, PREMIUM TIMES reports that the musician was arrested and detained on Tuesday after ICPC operatives closed in on him, forcing him to surrender himself at the agency's headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria's capital.

Insiders said D'banj had evaded summons for weeks, claiming to be overseas for scheduled concerts each time he was summoned for questioning on a fraud allegation.

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

Investigators believe D'banj conspired with some corrupt government officials to put ghost beneficiaries on the scheme's payroll. The stipend is then paid to those beneficiaries' accounts, which are now allegedly linked to the pop star.

The ICPC moved to arrest the musician anywhere in Nigeria and abroad after he failed to appear for interrogation despite multiple invitations, forcing him to appear at the commission's office on Tuesday.

D'banj was detained after being subjected to a lengthy interrogation session upon his arrival. Officials denied his request for administrative bail, claiming that if released on bail, the musician could not be trusted to attend his trial.

According to our sources, the ICPC may petition the court on Wednesday for an extended remand order to allow the agency to complete its investigation before charging the musician in court.

Azuka Ogugua, the ICPC's spokesperson, could not be reached for comment on this story. She is said to be attending a programme in another country. Because he was detained, the musician could not be reached for comment.

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

Taiwo and Kehinde Oyebanjo are the musician's twin siblings.

D'banj, a songwriter, singer, rapper, and television personality, has been active in Nigeria's thriving music scene since 2004. He performs afrobeat, hip hop, pop, and R&B music.

PREMIUM TIMES