BREAKING: Tinubu Orders Nwabueze’s Arrest, Suspends 3 Perm Secs Over Another Fake Agency

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of one George Buchi Nwabueze, and suspended three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The suspended permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the development on Friday while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with President Tinubu for the second time in two days.

Aliyu said the Commission uncovered a fictitious office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which had been illegally allocated office space within the OSGF without presidential approval and contrary to extant laws.

He explained that the discovery was made during the C0ommission’s ongoing investigation into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and other procedural lapses within the public service.

“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, which has been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Aliyu said.

According to the ICPC chairman, the fake office was promoted by George Buchi Nwabueze, who allegedly operated with the assistance of suspected collaborators within the OSGF.

He said the investigation revealed that Nwabueze used multiple identities while running the illegal operation.

“The fake agency office, National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project 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.

“The promoter was discovered to also operate under four other variations of his name: George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze,” Aliyu said.

Aliyu noted that the commission had engaged officials in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to obtain critical information relating to the fake office before updating the President on the latest findings.

“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” he said.

Following the briefing, Aliyu said President Tinubu issued immediate directives to address the matter.

“Mr President has directed as follows: the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze; the immediate suspension of the following permanent secretaries; M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah,” he said.

The latest discovery expands an investigation that began with the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), whose self-proclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently being prosecuted by the ICPC on charges of forgery and impersonation.

The ICPC’s interim report, submitted to President Tinubu on August 6 after a 30-day investigation, had already uncovered two additional fake entities — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.

With Friday’s announcement, the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office becomes the fourth fake agency uncovered by the anti-corruption commission in connection with the scandal since early April, as investigations continue into alleged collaborators within the federal civil service.