Nigerian singer D'banj has stated that he has "no business with fraud" after his release from custody.
This week, D'banj spent three days in custody over claims that money from the government’s N-Power program was transferred to accounts allegedly linked to the singer, never reaching the beneficiaries.
The singer was detained after numerous attempts by the ICPC to invite him for interrogation. After being arrested, D'banj tried to receive administrative bail, but officials concluded that he could not be trusted to appear for investigation if released.
However, three days after his detention, D'banj was freed, and his lawyer commented on the arrest, saying it was a disgrace “that such a huge allegation [was made] against a public figure without any evidence."
The singer, for his part, indicated that he was released without the need to post bail.
"I have assisted the commission with all I know… I am confident in their capacity to unravel the truth," D'Banj wrote on his Instagram*.
It was reported earlier that the pop star was an official ambassador for the N-Power program, but the Nigerian Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs responsible for the program denied the reports.
The N-Power program was launched in 2016 by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to address youth unemployment and promote social development. Beneficiaries employed in agriculture, health, education, and other fields receive monthly payments of 30,000 naira (about $68) under the program.
However, as the program has progressed, some beneficiaries have complained they never actually received the money.
Later, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs expressed suspicion that some personnel of the Payment Service Provider - third parties that assist in accepting electronic payments - might be involved in fraud with government money.
The ministry has initiated inspections and an investigation into the matter and is currently assisting an ongoing probe carried out by the ICPC.
Nigerian media outlets report that the main problems faced by the N-Power program are the “issue of truancy and ghost beneficiaries.”
The ministry, for its part, stated that in addition to investigating the missing money, it is also working to prevent similar incidents in the future.
*Instagram is banned in Russia over extremist activities