By Balogun Kamilu Lekan
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) recently detained Oladapo Oyebanjo, better known by his stage name D’banj, on suspicion of fraud.
The pop star allegedly defrauded the Nigerian government with hundreds of millions of naira intended for the N-Power project by collaborating with some government representatives to add phantom beneficiaries to the scheme’s payroll.
Then, funds are transferred from the stipend paid to those beneficiaries to accounts allegedly connected to the pop star.
Below is a link to some other top Nigerian celebrities that have been linked with fraud
Zlatan Ibile
In 2019, Zlatan Ibile, also known as Omoniyi Temidayo Raphael, and Naira Marley were detained by the EFCC. The musicians were detained for alleged involvement in money laundering and internet fraud.
He was granted administrative bail, along with the other three individuals. Since then, he has continued to release top-charting songs, and his popularity has grown.
Dammy Krane
In 2017, Dammy Krane was arrested in Florida on suspicion of stealing, using a stolen credit card, and fraud. He attempted to make a private jet reservation with an American jet company using five different credit cards that did not belong to him. He was released from custody in Miami after pleading not guilty to the charges and demanding a jury trial.
The singer was given legal counsel and is due in court on June 23, 2017. In August 2017, American courts dismissed all allegations against him, including credit card fraud, armed conspiracy, and grand theft.
Sinzu
Sinzu, real name Babalola Falemi, was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. He was imprisoned after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft, which the US penal code defines as the illegal taking of property worth $1,000 to $500,000.
Sinzu is accused of stealing over 15 bank cards, changing PINs, encoding bank numbers onto blank cards, and withdrawing cash from ATMs. He is charged with stealing $15,388 from unsuspecting victims. Sinzu struggled to resurrect his music career, which had fallen by the wayside before his imprisonment.
Naira Marley
Azeez Adeshina Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, and four others were detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on suspicion of money laundering. The singer was taken into custody a day after posting his well-known song “Am I a Yahoo boy” online.
In total, he was accused on 11 counts. After spending days in Ikoyi Prison, Naira Marley was brought before the court and granted bail for N2 million with two sureties in the same amount. Marley asserted that he had been imprisoned 124 times in the United Kingdom, where he had grown up, in a video leaked online after his release.
D’banj
Oladipo Daniel Oyebanjo fondly known as D’banj was arrested and detained by the personnel of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) after he was being investigated for fraud associated with the N-Power Programme.
A statement released by the ICPC reads, “About 10 persons have been invited by the ICPC over the last few months in connection with the N-Power fraud, and have been granted administrative bail after their detention. Several invitations to Mr Oladipo Daniel Oyebanjo, to appear before a team of investigators were ignored and not honoured.
“Mr Oyebanjo turned in himself and was taken into custody at the ICPC Headquarters on Tuesday, 6th December 2022, and is currently assisting the investigators to unravel the circumstances of the fraud allegations by the petitioners.”
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
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