By Peace Erewunmi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze following the discovery of an alleged fake government agency operating within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The development followed investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) into the activities of another alleged fake government body, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed the development on Friday while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to Aliyu, investigators uncovered an organisation operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.

The alleged agency had been allocated office space within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation or proper legal approval, according to the ICPC chairman.

Aliyu identified Nwabueze as the promoter of the organisation and said investigators found that he operated under multiple variations of his name.

The ICPC also alleged that Nwabueze had suspected collaborators within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“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.

Following the briefing, President Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze.

The President also ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries in connection with the discovery. They are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

The latest discovery forms part of a broader investigation ordered by President Tinubu into alleged fake government agencies and weaknesses in public service processes.

The ICPC had earlier uncovered the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which was allegedly operating as a government entity despite lacking the necessary authorisation.

The commission is now expected to investigate how the alleged “Made-in-Nigeria” office secured space within the OSGF and whether government officials were involved in facilitating its operations.

The development has raised fresh concerns over administrative controls and oversight within government offices, particularly regarding how unauthorised organisations can obtain access to official government premises.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against the individuals involved have not yet been determined by a court.