ICPC identifies George Nwabueze as alleged promoter of purported fake agency as Tinubu orders his arrest and suspends three permanent secretaries
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered a fake and unauthorised agency operating within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), with a structure reportedly extending across several parts of Nigeria and beyond.
At the centre of the alleged operation is George Nwabueze, whom the ICPC identified as the promoter of the purported National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.
According to the commission, the organisation allegedly maintained a nationwide network comprising 20 state coordinators, zonal directors, as well as representatives in China and the United States.
The discovery has raised questions about how an organisation without the necessary government authorisation was able to establish such an extensive structure and operate from government premises.
Following the ICPC’s findings, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of Nwabueze for further investigation. The President also directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries in connection with the circumstances surrounding the alleged operation.
The development is part of an ongoing investigation into the activities of the purported agency, including how it gained access to government facilities and allegedly presented itself as an official government structure.
The ICPC’s intervention has also renewed attention on the need for stronger verification and oversight of organisations operating within government establishments, particularly those using names or structures that could create the impression of official government backing.
As investigations continue, authorities are expected to determine the full extent of the alleged operation, identify other individuals connected to it and establish how the organisation was able to operate across multiple states and outside Nigeria.
For now, George Nwabueze remains at the centre of the investigation as authorities work to unravel the people, networks and activities allegedly linked to the purported agency.
