President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze and the suspension of three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The affected permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this on Friday while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with the President for the second time in two days.

Aliyu had earlier briefed Tinubu on Thursday on the development.

Aliyu said the newly discovered fake office, known as the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” was illegally allocated office space within the premises of the OSGF without presidential approval and in violation of existing laws.

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

Aliyu said the discovery was made during the commission’s broader investigation, following an earlier directive from President Tinubu. He identified the promoter of the fake office as Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was allegedly operating under multiple aliases.

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

He said the ICPC had engaged the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to obtain critical information about the fake office and had fully briefed President Tinubu on the latest developments.

“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” he said.

Aliyu said following the discovery, “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, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah,” he said.

Friday’s development is the latest in a widening scandal that began with the discovery of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently being prosecuted over alleged forgery and impersonation.