The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has detained D’banj, a well-known musician from Nigeria, for fraud claims.
The musician was apprehended and detained on Tuesday when ICPC agents surrounded him and forced him to present himself at the organization’s headquarters in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Insiders claimed that D’banj had evaded summonses for weeks by stating that he was abroad for booked concerts each time he was asked to show up for an interrogation about allegations.
The music artist, a well-known and affluent Nigerian celebrity, is charged with defrauding the Nigerian government of monies intended for the N-Power project, an empowerment initiative launched by the Nigerian government in 2016 to combat youth unemployment and advance social development.
Investigators contend that D’banj conspired with some government representatives to add fictitious beneficiaries to the scheme’s payroll. The stipends were then transferred to accounts that were purportedly connected to the celebrity after being paid to those beneficiaries.
The ICPC sought to arrest the artist anywhere in Nigeria and abroad after he repeatedly declined invitations to appear for questioning; as a result, he was forced to appear at the commission’s office on Tuesday.
D’banj was questioned upon arrival before being taken into custody. Officials rejected his request for administrative bail because they believed the singer could not be trusted to appear at his trial if released on bond.
According to information obtained, the ICPC may ask the court on Wednesday for an extension of the musician’s detention period so that the agency can finish its investigation before bringing the musician before a judge.
Azuka Ogugua, the ICPC spokesperson, could not be reached for comment on this article. She reportedly travels abroad for a program.
D’banj, a singer from Nigeria, is no stranger to controversy. He became embroiled in a complicated incident surrounding the alleged rape of a woman in 2018 in June 2020.
Despite many requests, the ICPC moved to have him arrested anywhere in Nigeria and abroad, forcing him to show up at the commission’s office on Tuesday.
Benjamin Ese, a model scout from Nigeria, said that D’banj had sexually assaulted his buddy at a hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, on December 31, 2018.
He claims that after the Kokomaster joined in preaching against rape on his Instagram page with the hashtag “#NoMeansNo,” his friend felt compelled to relate her story. We must properly raise our sons and instill in them a love and respect for women. Justice for our GIRLS is required. Say NO to tribalism, racism, and rape. Let’s start living in LOVE instead of FEAR and HATE.
