D’banj was apprehended by a government agency on Wednesday morning.
The ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, explained to newsmen hours later that D’banj was being investigated for fraud related to the N-Power Programme.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration launched the scheme on June 8, 2016, to address issues of youth unemployment and empowerment, as well as to promote social development.
Ogugua noted that the agency had repeatedly summoned the singer and others mentioned in a petition for interaction. While others are said to have complied, D’banj reportedly shunned the invitation.
“In line with its mandate, the Commission had received numerous petitions on the diversion of N-Power funds running into billions of naira following the Federal Government’s approval and release of such funds to the beneficiaries. Many N-Power beneficiaries had complained over the non-receipt of the monthly funds in spite of payment by the Government,” Ogugua noted.
He explained further that the ICPC invited about ten persons over the last few months in connection with the N-Power fraud.
Ogugua said the others had been granted administrative bail after their detention. He, however, said several invitations to Oyebanjo to appear before a team of investigators were ignored and not honoured by the singer.
“Mr Oyebanjo turned himself in and was taken into custody at the ICPC Headquarters on Tuesday, 6th December 2022, and is currently assisting the investigators in unraveling the circumstances of the fraud allegations by the petitioners.
“The investigation will be all-encompassing and also be extended to other collaborators of the fraud and the banks where the beneficiaries’ accounts are domiciled,” the ICPC spokesman explained.
D’banj Not A Brand Ambassador Of N-Power – Ministry
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development has revealed that D’banj, the embattled music star, was never a brand ambassador for the N-Power programme.
According to the Ministry, it reported to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission large-scale financial irregularities in the N-Power Programme (ICPC).
At a press conference on Wednesday night, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, urged the public to report any irregularities in the implementation of the National Social Investment Program.
He said given its findings, the ICPC may invite many people it engaged for questioning.
Gwarzo said: “The N-Power Programme is a very successful component of the National Social Investment Programmme put in place by the Federal Government. It has continued to deliver desired impact through the on-boarding 1.5million Unemployed Nigerian youth (mostly graduates), providing capacity building, targeted tenured employment and structured off-boarding unto various career paths; thereby serving as a catalyst conveyor system for unemployed/under-employed Nigerian youth to successful career paths and a stimulus for the Nigerian Economy.
”The Ministry’s attention has been brought to recent publications regarding ongoing investigations in relation to fraud allegations in the Programme. We wish to here state as follows;
”The Ministry has deployed a well-rounded mechanism for selection of eligible beneficiaries from across the country and this has been in place since the inception of the program. Working with our Service Provider, Program Beneficiaries are onboarded, trained and deployed to pre-selected Places of Primary Assignment.
“When it came to our notice that there may have been sharp practices by some personnel of the Payment Service Provider (PSP) involved in the payment processes of beneficiaries, the matter was immediately referred to ICPC for thorough investigation. We are aware that certain persons have consequently been invited for interrogation as part of the ongoing investigations.
”In the meantime, we have carried out thorough reinforcement of our systems to eliminate all anomalies and prevent similar occurrences in the future. To this end we are in close collaboration with ICPC to support the successful determination of the investigation.
“The public may wish to note that in a bid to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of N-Power and other National Social Investment Programmes, namely the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme(NHGSFP), Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP)and the Conditional Cash Transfer(CCT), the Ministry has over time involved other government MDA’s, Security Agencies and Civil Society Organizations in monitoring and compliance checks across the 36 states of the country and the FCT.
“We want to assure all N-POWER beneficiaries of Federal Government’s continued commitment to the programme and the subsequent exit/off-boarding channels activated.
”All program beneficiaries should therefore continue to apply themselves to their utmost at their Places of Primary Assignment. All monthly stipends will continue to be paid in line with program expectations.
“We call on members of the public to come forward with information on any irregularities noticed in the implementation of the National Social Investment programmne through the following channels;Email: npowersupport@
“Phone: 0700 CALL NSIP, 070022556747 or 07030859183- Whatsapp.”
