Connect with us

Entertainment

N-Power fraud: Lawyer seeks immediate release of D’banj’s

Published

on

D'banj

Pelumi Olajengbesi, the lawyer to popular musician, Daniel Oladapo, also known as D’Banj, has called for the release of the singer from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

Olajengbesi in a statement on Thursday said D’Banj who was arrested by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, was innocent of the allegations of fund diversion trailing him regarding the social empowerment programme ‘N-Power Scheme.’

This was also as he demanded that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs should make public the names of government officials allegedly involved with D’Banj in the alleged fraud.

Olajengbesi, the Managing Partner at Law Corridor, thereafter sought the release of the singer, especially having spent 48 hours in detention in the course of interrogation.

“It has become necessary in the interest of justice and for public record to make known the following facts with regard to the false allegation against Mr. Daniel Oladapo (D’banj) especially as his immediate release has become expedient under the law and constitutional convention having satisfactorily cooperated with Commission’s investigation within the last 48 hours:

Advertisement

“Investigators of the Commission have between December 6 and 7, 2022, thoroughly examined D’banj’s honest and straightforward answers to all its inquiries to the mutual satisfaction of the Commission and his legal representatives.

“That D’banj has dutifully cooperated with the Commission in the course of their investigation and demonstrated a shared zeal to help the Commission make its impassioned and honest findings on the matter as he is interested in clearing his name as well,” the lawyer said.

He added that after Wednesday’s interview session, “we were informed he would be released as a matter of course having found nothing on him and with no further grounds for his continued detention. However, the Chairman of the Commission was required to sign off on his immediate release before it could be effected and that never happened.

“We were at the Commission today (Thursday) to give D’banj the required legal representation and all we waited for was still the ‘approval from above’ that never came. D’banj was also not interviewed today on any other issue before his lawyers.”

“While holding on to the sustained hope that D’banj will not somehow become the victim of targeted blackmail or faceless malice from certain quarters with perhaps vested interest in his downfall, we want to reassure the general public and the Commission by implication that we are fully ready and willing to cooperate to the extent of the law that makes for the finding of the truth in this matter which we take quite seriously,” the statement said.

Advertisement

D’Banj’s lawyer sought the provision of names of government officials allegedly involved in colluding with the singer to perpetuate the alleged fraud.

“We in the same vein reiterate that D’banj has no such access nor colluded with any government officials over any dubious transaction. The very allegation is a nightmare that must be dissipated by an assertion of the truth of D’banj’s unimpeachable innocence.

“As a matter of course, we now place a major demand on the oversight Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to immediately cause the release of the names of the government officials alleged to have colluded with D’banj and the investigation of same should be made public. We also demand that the ministry should make public immediately money alleged to have been traced to D’banj’s account.

“We call on the National Assembly’s Public Account Committee to open a wide investigation into the N-Power scheme through an open and all-free entry public hearing without protecting any sacred cows.

“It is alarming and incongruous to design such an allegation against D’banj who does not have access to government accounts or government platforms to have been alleged to have diverted such huge sums without any single government official in custody with him.

Advertisement

“We have opted to treat this matter with all sense of diligence and with the benefit of doubt extended to the Commission given that we are mindful the Commission is headed by a Professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria whom we believe reckons with the principle that an accused is innocent until proven guilty and would constitutionally comply with same,” Olajengbesi said.

“It is to this end that we implore the Commission to be mindful of having detained D’banj beyond the constitutionally allowed limits without a charge made in court, following which we encourage the Commission to have him brought before a competent court with the necessary charges forthwith or duly release him while continuing their investigation which we understand can be a demanding and pressing task.

“D’banj is innocent of all the laughable allegations and deliberate publicity and has demonstrated patriotism by encouraging the Commission and such an act in good faith must not be unfairly rewarded,” he added.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Mercy Chinwo: Court orders arrest of VeryDarkMan for defamation

Published

on

The Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, has issued a bench warrant to arrest blogger Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), for “criminal defamation” of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo’s reputation.

The magistrate directed the Nigeria Police Force, along with other law enforcement authorities, to arrest VeryDarkMan and bring him to court to answer the charges leveled against him.

Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna issued the bench warrant on Thursday, March 13, 2025, after VeryDarkMan failed to appear before the magistrate despite a court summons issued on March 5, 2025.

Though VeryDarkMan’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, requested that the magistrate reconsider the bench warrant and that he physically produce his client in court, Magistrate Iyanna denied the request and insisted that VeryDarkMan be produced in court by security agents.

When contacted, Adeyanju told Channels Television that a bench warrant was issued against his client.

“Yes, a bench warrant has been issued against him for failure to show up in court.

“They are just interested in media trial over the matter. They are not interested in prosecuting the matter,” Adeyanju said.

The bench warrant stemmed from alleged defamatory statements made by VDM on social media, accusing Chinwo of involvement in a contractual dispute and the purported diversion of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.

In support of her claims, Chinwo furnished the court with documentary evidence, including emails and payment receipts, to substantiate that VDM’s allegations were not only entirely false but damning and injurious to her public image and reputation.

The complainant’s lawyers led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, Chinwo said the alleged actions of the defendant are contrary to Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Rapper DDG sacks his cameraman for flirting with his date

Published

on

American rapper and YouTuber Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr., widely known as DDG, has fired his cameraman for flirting with his date.

In a video of his recent livestream that has gone viral, the rapper can be seen on a date with model Tiana at a restaurant, but his cameraman, Johnny, keeps interrupting them by flirting with the model.

His actions enraged the rapper, who then texted him, notifying him that he had been fired.

“Check your phone, Johnny,” he told the cameraman after sending the text.

The cameraman displayed the message he received from his boss on the screen. The message reads, “You fired after stream.”

DDG has been going on dates with multiple different women since his breakup with his baby mama Halle Bailey.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Why I can’t forgive nurse who injected my husband – Mohbad’s wife

Published

on

Omowunmi Aloba, the widow of singer Mohbad, has revealed why she can’t forgive the nurse who injected her late husband.

She made the revelation in her latest interview with Arise Television.

Expressing her grievance, she noted that the nurse has been out there clubbing and enjoying her life while “I have been held hostage. I can’t move freely, and my son has not even experienced the joy of childhood. And the same nurse, who will decide to get married someday, could leave me in the hands of war to devour me.

“One thing is, I can’t even forgive that nurse because she made me a widow at 24 years old. And you know, she has been acting so nonchalant, living her life as if nothing has happened.

“I really don’t know if the injection she gave my husband was a mistake, but if I see the nurse face to face, the only thing I will tell her is that she will experience everything she has done to me,” she added.

Omowunmi further clarified that the nurse was introduced to them by Mohbad’s friend, Spending, because her husband’s personal nurse was not available.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025 Naija Gatekeeper News