President Bola Tinubu has ordered the arrest of George Nwabueze and suspended three permanent secretaries after the ICPC uncovered another alleged fake agency operating inside the Federal Government’s OSGF complex.
ABUJA, NIGERIA — President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze and suspended three permanent secretaries after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission uncovered another alleged fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu announced the directives on Friday, August 21, 2026, after briefing the President at the Presidential Villa.
The three suspended permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah. According to Aliyu, the President approved their immediate suspension after the commission briefed him on its latest findings. The ICPC chairman said investigators uncovered an office operating as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation.
Aliyu said the newly uncovered office formed part of the commission’s wider investigation into fictitious government bodies and weaknesses within Nigeria’s public service processes. He said investigators found that the purported agency had secured office accommodation inside the government complex, raising questions about how an entity without presidential approval gained access to official government facilities.
The ICPC chairman identified Nwabueze as the promoter of the purported office and said investigators found that he operated under several variations of his name. Those names include George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze, according to the commission’s findings reported after the Presidential Villa briefing.
Aliyu further alleged that Nwabueze did not operate alone and that the investigation had uncovered suspected collaborators within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The ICPC said it had engaged officials of the OSGF to obtain information about the office and its activities before presenting its findings to Tinubu.
Following the briefing, Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and ordered the suspension of the three permanent secretaries. The President’s directives do not amount to a final finding of criminal guilt against the affected officials. The ICPC investigation remains ongoing, and the commission is expected to establish the roles allegedly played by the individuals involved before further legal action.
The latest development comes only weeks after another investigation exposed the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, a fictitious body that had reportedly presented itself as a government institution. That earlier investigation prompted the Federal Government to examine how unauthorised organisations could gain access to official structures and operate around government processes.
The PFIPC investigation has already resulted in the prosecution of its alleged promoter, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, over accusations including forgery and impersonation. The ICPC’s interim report submitted to Tinubu on August 6 also identified two other alleged fictitious bodies — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
The discovery of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office has therefore widened the Federal Government’s concern beyond one isolated case. It suggests that investigators are examining the internal systems that allow individuals or organisations to present themselves as government-backed entities and, in some cases, gain access to official premises. The wider probe could expose additional weaknesses if investigators find similar cases.
For Nigerians, the issue matters because government agencies and offices exercise significant authority over public services, contracts, investment programmes and access to officials. The existence of unauthorised bodies operating from government premises could create confusion for citizens and businesses seeking legitimate government services. It could also create opportunities for impersonation, fraud or improper dealings if members of the public mistake a private organisation for an authorised federal institution.
The latest action also puts attention on the responsibility of senior public servants who control access to government offices. While the ICPC has not yet established the final roles of the three suspended permanent secretaries, their suspension allows investigators to conduct further inquiries without the officials remaining in their positions during the process. The commission said it would continue its investigation and take further action as facts emerge.
Newstridez reviewed reports from the ICPC briefing and multiple Nigerian news organisations and found broad agreement on the central facts: investigators uncovered the purported agency inside the OSGF, identified Nwabueze as its alleged promoter, and linked suspected collaborators to officials within the government office. However, the investigation has not yet produced a final court finding establishing criminal liability against the suspended permanent secretaries.
The case also comes as Tinubu’s administration pushes for tighter controls around government institutions and public-sector processes. The latest investigation could lead to further scrutiny of how government offices approve accommodation, recognise agencies and verify the identities and mandates of organisations operating within federal facilities. Such checks could become more important if investigators uncover additional fictitious bodies.
Meanwhile, the ICPC has not indicated that the investigation has ended with the arrest directive. Aliyu said the commission would continue its work, meaning investigators could identify additional individuals or administrative failures as they examine the circumstances surrounding the purported agency. The three suspended permanent secretaries may also face further administrative or legal consequences depending on what the investigation establishes.
The fake agency investigation is now the latest test of the Federal Government’s internal controls, with Tinubu ordering an arrest and three suspensions after the ICPC’s latest findings. Nwabueze faces arrest, while the suspended permanent secretaries remain under investigation. The next major development will come from the ICPC as it determines how the unauthorised office gained access to the OSGF and whether more officials or individuals played a role.
