By Boluwatife Oshadiya | August 22, 2026
Key Points
- President Bola Tinubu orders the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze after ICPC uncovers an unauthorised government office within the OSGF
- ICPC identifies the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office as an alleged fake agency operating without presidential authorisation
- Tinubu suspends M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah as ICPC expands its investigation into weaknesses in public-service processes
Main Story
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and suspended three permanent secretaries after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered an alleged fake government office operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed the development on Friday after briefing Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, according to reports from State House correspondents.
The office, identified as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, was allegedly allocated space within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation and contrary to existing public-service rules, ICPC said.
ICPC identified Nwabueze as the alleged promoter of the office and said investigators found that he operated under several variations of his name, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze. The commission also alleged that there were suspected collaborators within the OSGF.
The discovery emerged from a wider ICPC investigation into the previously uncovered Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and weaknesses in government processes. The commission said it had engaged the OSGF to obtain information concerning the newly identified office before briefing the President on its findings.
Following the briefing, Tinubu directed Nwabueze’s immediate arrest and ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
The latest discovery forms part of an expanding investigation into alleged fictitious government bodies. An ICPC interim report submitted to Tinubu on August 6 after a 30-day investigation had also identified the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership as other fictitious bodies.
What’s Being Said
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” Musa Adamu Aliyu, Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Aliyu also said the President directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and the suspension of the three permanent secretaries following the discovery.
No independent response from Nwabueze or the three suspended permanent secretaries was identified in the reports reviewed for this story by publication time.
What’s Next
- ICPC investigation: The commission is expected to continue investigating how the alleged unauthorised office was established and obtained space within the OSGF
- Government process review: Tinubu has ordered a forensic audit of government processes as authorities examine weaknesses that could allow unauthorised bodies to operate within federal institutions
- Further action: Additional arrests, suspensions or other measures could follow if the ongoing investigation establishes further involvement or procedural breaches
Bottom Line
The Bottom Line: The discovery moves the fake-agency investigation beyond individual allegations to questions about how unauthorised organisations can gain access to federal government facilities and operate within official structures. The suspension of three permanent secretaries and the ordered forensic audit signal a broader examination of the controls governing access, authorisation and accountability across the public service.
