President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Nwabueze and suspended three federal permanent secretaries following the discovery of an alleged fake government agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in Abuja.
The directives were announced on Friday, 21 August 2026, by Musa Aliyu, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), following a briefing with the president at the Presidential Villa.
Uncovering Illegal Operations
The ICPC chief disclosed that investigators uncovered an unauthorized entity styled as the “National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office” functioning inside OSGF premises without presidential approval.
Key developments in the investigation include:
- Suspect Identified: The illegal office was allegedly promoted and operated by George Nwabueze—who operated under multiple name variations—with help from suspected internal collaborators.
- Senior Officials Suspended: President Tinubu ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries—M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah—to allow for an unhindered probe.
- Expanded Scrutiny: The discovery arose from broader ICPC investigations into another unauthorized entity, the “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC), and systemic procedural loopholes across the civil service.
- Forensic Audit: The president has mandated a comprehensive forensic audit of public service allocation processes to identify structural vulnerabilities and prevent fraudulent operations within government facilities.
The ICPC confirmed that investigations remain ongoing, with further administrative and legal actions expected as additional evidence emerges.
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