ICPC arrest D’banj, detained him over alleged N-power fraud

• ICPC arrested D’banj over connivance with govt officials to defraud Nigerians
• Sources said he was charged with defrauding the Nigerian government of monies intended for the N-Power project

Afrobeat musician D’Banj has been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) on suspicion of defrauding the N-Power project by fraudulently diverting funds.

The musician was apprehended and detained on Tuesday after 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 who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES.

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 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.

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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.

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.

What You Should Know About ICPC

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission was inaugurated on September 29th, 2000 by the Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR.

The Commission promotes the nation’s battle against corruption and asserts that its first responsibility is to take complaints, conduct investigations, and bring cases against violators.

Its responsibilities as an enforcement body also include receiving and looking into reports of the Act’s new corrupt offenses, as well as prosecuting offenders when necessary.

In order to prevent corruption in public life, it is also necessary to examine, review, and enforce the correction of public bodies’ corruptible systems and practices.

Other responsibilities include educating the public and winning their support in the fight against corruption, as well as reviewing and changing the policies and practices of public institutions.