President Bola Tinubu has ordered the arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze following the discovery of another fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

Tinubu also ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries — M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah — following the discovery of the fake agency.

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing the President.

Aliyu said the fake office, operating under the name “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office”, had been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the OSGF, contrary to extant laws and without authorisation from the Presidency.

He said: “Upon further brief by ICPC to Mr. President on the ongoing investigations into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFICP) and procedural weaknesses in the public service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) 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.”

According to him, the latest discovery was made in the course of the ICPC’s broader investigation, as earlier directed by Tinubu, and identified the promoter of the fake office as Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was found to be operating under multiple names.

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

He revealed that the ICPC had interacted with the OSGF to obtain vital information relating to the fake office under investigation and had comprehensively briefed the President on the new developments.

“ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly. 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, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah,” he said.

The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth unlawful agency uncovered following the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council scandal in April.

The latest discovery followed the exposure of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing a probe.

In its interim report submitted to the President on August 6 after a 30-day probe, the ICPC had earlier disclosed the existence of two other fictitious bodies: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.

The House of Representatives has also instituted a probe into the PFIPC and its disputed Director-General, with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Accountant-General of the Federation appearing before the lawmakers.