D'banj detained, arrested for alleged fraud

D'banj, a well-known artist from Nigeria, was detained and arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC).

The musician was reportedly apprehended and detained on Tuesday after ICPC agents reportedly closed in on him and forced him to turn himself in at the organization's headquarters in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The pop star, a famous and wealthy Nigerian, is charged with defrauding the Nigerian government out of hundreds of thousands 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.

According to investigators, D'banj conspired with some tainted government representatives to add fake beneficiaries to the scheme's payroll.

These beneficiaries received their stipends through accounts that are now suspected to be connected to the pop singer.

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.

D'banj was detained after a protracted interrogation that began when he arrived. 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.

Also, it was heard that the ICPC can ask the court for an extension of the remand period so that the agency can finish its inquiry before accusing the musician in court.