Jelili Gbadamosi
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze over his alleged involvement in the operation of a purported government agency within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The President also ordered the suspension of three Permanent Secretaries in the SGF office following the discovery of what the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC) described as another fake agency.
The ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed the development on Friday, identifying Nwabueze as the alleged promoter of an organisation operating as the “National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.”
According to Aliyu, the organisation was not a legitimate government agency but had allegedly been allocated office space within the SGF complex.
The discovery was made during investigations into the earlier reported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the ICPC had identified as a fake agency. The investigation subsequently led to the discovery of two additional purported agencies.
Following the latest findings, President Tinubu directed the suspension of M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah, all Permanent Secretaries in the SGF office.
The President also ordered a forensic audit of government processes to determine how the alleged unauthorised agencies gained access to government facilities and operated within official premises.
The ICPC said investigations into the matter were still ongoing, as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged operation and identify others who may have been involved.
The development has raised fresh concerns over the need for stronger verification and monitoring mechanisms within government institutions to prevent unauthorised individuals or organisations from operating under the identity of the Federal Government.
