Alleged Npower fraud: ICPC finally frees D’banj

• According to D’banj’s lawyer, the hip-hop singer was released after nothing incriminating was found on him

• The Oliver Twist crooner was arrested due to alleged diversion of funds meant for Npower beneficiaries

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Friday freed popular musician, Daniel Oladapo, also known as D’Banj.

Confirming the release was D’banj’s lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, who announced that the musician was released on self-recognition after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, could not find anything incriminating on him.

Olajengbesi in a statement on Thursday said D’Banj who was arrested by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, was innocent of the allegations of fund diversion trailing him regarding the social empowerment programme ‘N-Power Scheme.’

This was also as he demanded that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs should make public the names of government officials allegedly involved with D’Banj in the alleged fraud.

But sharing the news of the singer’s release on his Facebook page and a statement on Friday, Olajengbesi explained that nothing incriminating was found on D’banj.

The statement read, “After 72 hours of unfair detention and false allegation against Mr. Daniel Oladapo (D’banj), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Friday afternoon released the popular singer.

“It is instructive to note that the ICPC released D’banj) on self-recognition after the agency could not find anything incriminating on him.

“Nigerians must be told the truth that D’banj) is clean and have no criminal or fraud record. It, however, an embarrassment to the entire country that such a huge allegation of N900m fraud against a public figure without any evidence.

“The ICPC Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN) and the entire officers of the ICPC must be deeply sad and embarrassed also that their decent organization was used for such a shameful publicity against an innocent man. Only few organizations and persons stood and waited to verify the claims. This form of media trial is evil.

“The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, who claimed to have instructed the ICPC to detain D’banj must now be ready to explain to world the money traced to his account and the amount.

“We still demand that the minister provide the details of the government authority D’banj allegedly collaborated with and provide the account and N-power funds allegedly traced to Dbanj’s account.

“This is injustice and upon the instruction of our client, we may head to court to seek redress, a public apology, and compensation from the ICPC. The detention of D’banj is an injustice having that the ICPC found nothing incriminating traced to his innocent personality.

“This is to say a big thank you to Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and my Learned Senior Barr. Babs Akinwumi for the leadership.”

The pop singer was reportedly arrested and detained, Tuesday, by the anti-graft agency, over fraud related offences.

He was accused of conniving with some corrupt government officials to divert hundreds of thousands of naira earmarked by the Nigerian government for N-Power project, an empowerment programme set up by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, to address youth unemployment and increase social development.

The ‘Oliver Twist’ crooner, alongside the corrupt government officials, were said to have introduced ghost beneficiaries into the payroll of the funds, and the monies were later traced to accounts associated with the singer.