Dbanj
The arrest of popular Nigerian pop star, Oladapo Oyebanji aka Dbanj on Tuesday night over allegations of fraud has stirred conversations around celebrities. It is so because these are supposedly role models in society, but they are now indulging in fraudulent activities, thus damning their potential role, which is to motivate the Nigerian youths to be better.
Dbanj is not the only celebrity that has been caught in the web of the law. This article will look at several other Nigerian entertainers who have suffered the same fate at one point or another. Many of them even served jail terms, while others are still enmeshed in the web of the law, and the case is still in court.
Below is a list of Nigerian singers who have some point been arrested for fraud.
Nigerian singer, Oladapo Oyebanji, better known by his stage name, D’banj, was arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission, (ICPC) over fraud allegations.
It was reported that the pop star fraudulently diverted hundreds of millions of naira earmarked by the Nigerian government for the N-Power project by conniving with some government officials to introduce ghost beneficiaries into the payroll of the scheme.
The stipend paid to those beneficiaries is then paid to accounts that have now allegedly been linked to him, he however denied administrative bail and is currently being detained.
Popular musician, Johnson Oyindamola, popularly known as Dammy Krane was arrested in Florida in June 2017 after private jet service company, TapJets alerted the US police that the singer made a booking totalling $10,943 with stolen credit card details.
He was detained alongside one Ilochukwu Gabriel at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center before making bail but was eventually discharged of all charges by Judge De La O Migue.
Rapper, popularly Babalola Falemi known as Sinzu, was arrested and jailed for two years for aggravated identity theft.
Popularly Nigerian singer, Azeez Fashola better known as Naira Marley, was arrested alongside four others for alleged fraud and money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.