President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Buchi 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 directed 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.
ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu disclosed this on Friday after briefing Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Aliyu, the commission uncovered another alleged fake office operating within the OSGF, identified as the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.
He said the office was allegedly allocated space within the OSGF without presidential authorisation.
Aliyu explained that the discovery was made during the ICPC’s broader investigation into the activities of the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and other procedural weaknesses within government.
The ICPC chairman 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, with suspected collaborators within the OSGF.
Following the commission’s findings, Aliyu said Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze.
The President also ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries identified as M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
Aliyu said the investigation was ongoing and warned that further actions could be taken as more facts emerge.
The latest development follows Tinubu’s directive for an investigation into the alleged fake PFIPC. Aliyu commended the President for ordering a forensic audit of government processes, describing it as a step towards strengthening governance and closing loopholes that could enable abuse within the public service.
He added that the investigation would determine the full extent of the alleged activities and identify all individuals involved.