The singer was denied bail because he could not be trusted to appear in court later if released.
Nigerian singer, Oladapo Oyebanji, popularly known as D'banj, has been arrested and detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC).
On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, the singer was apprehended after ICPC agents surrounded him and forced him to surrender.
D'banj was arrested on suspicion of defrauding the N-Power project by diverting funds intended for the project into his personal accounts.
The N-Power project is an empowerment program established by the Nigerian government in 2016 to address issues such as youth unemployment and social development.
reports that the singer had a pact with some government officials, who introduced non-existent beneficiaries into the scheme.
The amounts allocated to those beneficiaries have now been found in accounts linked to the singer.
He was allegedly summoned for weeks but refused to heed, prior to his arrest.
Having avoided the ICPC's invitation for a conversation multiple times, the commission was forced to call for his arrest anywhere in Nigeria or abroad. This led to his arrest .
According to sources, the ICPC may request a prolonged detention order from the court today, December 7th, in order to complete its investigation before charging the musician in court.
The authorities denied the singer's request for bail, claiming that if he is released, they cannot rely on him to appear at his trial.
D'banj, also known as the Kokomaster, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter. He has been a part of the Nigerian music scene since 2004, and he has numerous hit songs to his name.
