President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Nwabueze over the alleged operation of a fake government agency within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The president also ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries following fresh findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in its investigation into alleged fake government agencies and weaknesses in public service processes.
Musa Aliyu, ICPC Chairman, told State House correspondents on Friday after a meeting with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja that the commission had uncovered another alleged fake office operating within the OSGF premises, identified as the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.
According to him, the office was allegedly allocated space within the OSGF without presidential authorisation.
The ICPC chairman said the discovery was made during the commission’s broader investigation into the activities of the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and other procedural weaknesses in government.
Aliyu said the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office was promoted by Nwabueze, who allegedly operated under different variations of his name.
He alleged that the office operated with the involvement of suspected collaborators within the OSGF.
He said the ICPC had engaged officials of the OSGF to obtain relevant information concerning the office and subsequently briefed President Tinubu on its findings.
“Following the briefing, Mr President directed the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC chairman also disclosed that the president ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries identified as M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
Aliyu said the commission’s investigation is ongoing, adding that further actions could follow as additional facts emerge.
He commended Tinubu for ordering a forensic audit of government processes, describing the move as a proactive step towards strengthening governance and closing loopholes that could facilitate abuse within the public service.
He said the ongoing investigation would seek to establish the full extent of the alleged activities and identify all individuals involved.
The latest discovery comes as the ICPC intensifies its investigation into alleged unauthorised entities operating within government structures, following President Tinubu’s directive to probe the alleged fake PFIPC.