Nigerians have taken over the social media space to react to the news of singer D’banj who was arrested and detained by ICPC agents.
The musician was arrested and detained on Tuesday after ICPC agents surrounded him, forcing him to surrender at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Read Also: Nigerian Pop Star D’banj Arrested, Detained
According to reports, D’banj evaded summonses for weeks, claiming to be overseas for scheduled concerts each time he was summoned to appear for questioning on a fraud allegation.
The pop star, a wealthy Nigerian celebrity, is accused of fraudulently diverting hundreds of naira earmarked by the Nigerian government for N-Power project, an empowerment programme set up by the Nigerian government in 2016 to address youth unemployment and increase social development.
Investigators alleged that D’banj colluded with some compromised government officials to introduce ghost beneficiaries into the payroll of the scheme. The stipend paid to those beneficiaries are then paid to accounts that have now allegedly been linked to the pop star.
After the musician failed to show up for interrogation despite multiple invitations, the ICPC moved to arrest him anywhere in Nigeria and abroad, forcing 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 rejected by officials who said the musician could not be trusted to attend his trial if released on bail.
According to report, the ICPC might approach the court on Wednesday for an extended remand order to enable the agency complete its investigation before charging the musician to court.
Reacting to the news of his arrest, some Nigerians have taken to the comment section of blogs to express how they feel.
@Theexcuslivelifeofoyin: What does a pop star have to do with government funds?
@Bukkylawal: How did he get access to the governments funds before diverting it.?
@Akpamoney: Na dem. He deserves life imprisonment.
@Savagery001: Youths in politics in the mud.
D’banj, 42, also known as the Kokomaster, was born on 9 June, 1980 in Zaria in Kaduna State, north-west Nigeria, to a military officer who commanded an artillery regiment and a businesswoman from Shagamu in Ogun State.
