ICPC uncovers another fake agency in SGF office, Tinubu orders arrest, suspends 3 perm secs

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered another fake government agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), further deepening concerns over weaknesses in the Federal Government’s administrative and budgetary systems.

The latest discovery follows the commission’s investigation into the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a fictitious body that allegedly operated openly within the Federal Secretariat despite having no legitimate government backing.

The PFIPC became the subject of a major governance scandal after it secured official office space, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and was allocated N1.3 billion in the 2026 national budget.

The organisation was reportedly headed by a self-styled Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who allegedly used an appointment letter bearing a forged signature of Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff, to establish the appearance of official legitimacy.

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Despite being a fictitious agency, the PFIPC allegedly recruited personnel, hosted foreign ambassadors and facilitated applications for diplomatic visas.

Following the revelations, the Presidency disowned the organisation and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the ICPC to conduct an immediate 30-day investigation into the matter.

The investigation has now led to the discovery of another alleged unauthorised organisation operating from within the SGF complex.

ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed the latest development on Friday while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Aliyu identified the newly uncovered organisation as the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, which secured office space within the SGF complex without presidential authorisation.

According to the ICPC chairman, the discovery emerged from the commission’s investigation into the PFIPC and exposed further weaknesses in government procedures that could allow unauthorised bodies to operate within official institutions.

The commission identified Prince George Buchi Nwabueze as the promoter of the newly uncovered office and said suspected collaborators within the SGF’s office may have facilitated its operation.

Following the briefing, President Tinubu ordered Nwabueze’s immediate arrest and directed the suspension of three Permanent Secretaries: M. S. Danjuma, Engineer Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

Meanwhile, a nationwide police manhunt had earlier been launched for Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the head of the PFIPC, after he reportedly went into hiding.

Adeyemi had claimed that he was being targeted for refusing to pay bribes to senior government officials, an allegation that remains subject to investigation.

The ICPC said investigations into the latest case are continuing, while President Tinubu has also directed a forensic audit of government processes to identify loopholes and prevent similar abuses in the future.

The unfolding investigations have raised fresh questions about how unauthorised organisations can obtain government office space, access official financial channels and, in the case of the PFIPC, secure inclusion in the national budget.