President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of a man accused of running a fictitious government office and the suspension of three permanent secretaries after anti-corruption investigators uncovered another unauthorised agency operating inside the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
ICPC Chairman Dr Musa Aliyu disclosed the directive to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing the president for the second time in two days.
He said the newly identified body, named the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” had been illegally allocated space within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation and in violation of existing laws.
“Upon further briefing by ICPC to Mr President on the ongoing investigations into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and procedural weaknesses in the public service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered another fake agency and office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” Aliyu said.
He identified the promoter as George Buchi Nwabueze, also known by several aliases including Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, George Nathan, and Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze.
“The fake agency office… was promoted by one George Buchi Nwabueze, with active suspected collaborators in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, contrary to extant laws and without authorisation of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Aliyu stated.
Following the briefing, Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and the suspension of permanent secretaries M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
The development is the latest in a widening probe that began with the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. An earlier interim ICPC report had already identified two other unauthorised bodies. The National Brands Development office is the fourth such entity uncovered since April.
Aliyu said the commission would continue its investigations.
