By Our correspondent
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the arrest of the alleged promoter of a fake government agency and suspended three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another organisation operating without government authorisation.
The latest development has deepened concerns over the existence of fraudulent structures allegedly operating within or around Nigeria’s public sector.
The agency at the centre of the investigation is identified as the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office. According to reports, it allegedly operated from a government office and maintained an elaborate structure that included coordinators across several states and representatives outside Nigeria.
Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and ordered the arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze, who was allegedly presented as the agency’s national coordinator.
Three permanent secretaries were also suspended pending the outcome of investigations into how the organisation gained access to government facilities and operated within the public sector.
The latest case follows the earlier discovery of another purported government body, the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, which had allegedly presented itself as an official government institution.
The earlier investigation raised questions about how individuals could establish organisations bearing official-sounding government titles and interact with public officials without proper authorisation.
The ICPC’s investigation into the earlier case reportedly helped uncover the latest alleged fake agency, suggesting that investigators are widening their examination of fraudulent entities that may have exploited government structures.
Reports have also raised questions about whether such organisations received public funds or benefited from government patronage.
The Presidency has moved to establish the identities of those involved and determine whether officials within government facilitated the alleged activities.
The development comes at a time when the Tinubu administration has repeatedly pledged to strengthen accountability, transparency and institutional controls within the public service.
The latest investigation is therefore expected to focus not only on the alleged promoter but also on how the organisation operated for an extended period without being detected.
Authorities are expected to determine the extent of any financial transactions, official contacts or government resources allegedly accessed by the organisation as investigations continue.
