Why ICPC Detains Ace Musician, D’banj Over Alleged Fund Diversion

Oladapo Oyebanji, better known by his stage name D’banj, has been detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly diverting N-Power monies.

The musician was apprehended and held Tuesday when ICPC agents closed in on him and forced him to present himself at the agency’s Abuja headquarters.

According to a source, D’banj had been evading summonses for weeks by saying he was abroad for scheduled concerts each time he was asked to show up for an interrogation on a fraud allegation.

The pop musician, a famous and wealthy Nigerian, is charged with defrauding the Nigerian government out of hundreds of naira 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 tainted government representatives to add fictitious beneficiaries to the scheme’s payroll. Then, the recipients get payments into accounts that are now purportedly connected to the pop star.

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The musician was forced to appear at the commission’s headquarters on Tuesday after the ICPC moved to arrest him after he repeatedly declined requests to appear for questioning.

Upon arrival, sources claim D’banj underwent a protracted interrogation process 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 our sources, the ICPC may ask the court for an extended remand order on Wednesday so that it may finish its investigation before bringing the musician to justice.

Azuka Ogugua, the ICPC spokesman, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report, as calls and text messages sent to her telephone line have not been responded too. She is said to be attending a programme abroad.