Nigerian pop star, Oladapo Oyebanjo, popularly known as D’banj has been arrested and detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Gatekeepers News reports that the 42-year-old was arrested and detained on Tuesday after ICPC operatives closed in on him.
According to Premium Times, D’banj was forced to surrender himself at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
He is being accused of fraudulently diverting hundreds of naira earmarked by the Nigerian government for the N-Power project, an empowerment programme set up by the Nigerian government in 2016 to address youth unemployment and increase social development.
According to reports, D’banj has been avoiding summons for weeks, claiming to be overseas for scheduled concerts each time he was invited to appear for interrogation over fraud allegations.
After he failed to show up for interrogation despite multiple invitations, the ICPC moved to arrest the singer anywhere in Nigeria and abroad, forcing him to show up at the commission’s office on Tuesday.
On arrival, the ‘Oliver Twist’ crooner was subjected to a prolonged interrogation session after which he was detained. His plea for administrative bail was, however, rejected by officials who said he could not be trusted to attend his trial if granted bail.
Further report revealed that 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.
