According to Premium Times, the 42-year-old was arrested and detained on Tuesday after ICPC operatives closed in on him, forcing him to surrender himself at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
The pop star 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.
It was also gathered that 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 the fraud allegation.
After the singer failed to show up for interrogation despite multiple invitations, the ICPC moved to arrest him anywhere in Nigeria and abroad. This forced him to show up at the commission’s office on Tuesday.
On arrival, D’banj was subjected to a prolonged interrogation session after which he was detained. His plea for administrative bail was, however, rejected by officials who said the ‘Olivia Twist’ singer could not be trusted to attend his trial if granted bail.
It was also gathered that ICPC might approach the court on Wednesday for an extended remand order to enable the agency to complete its investigation before charging the musician to court.
