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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze and directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another allegedly fictitious agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The suspended permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), 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 said the ICPC uncovered a purported office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.

According to him, the office had allegedly been allocated space within the premises of the OSGF without presidential approval and in violation of established procedures and relevant laws governing the public service.

The ICPC chairman said the discovery was made in the course of the Commission’s ongoing investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the commission had previously identified as a fictitious entity, as well as other procedural weaknesses within the public service.

“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.

He said preliminary findings indicated that Nwabueze was behind the establishment and operation of the alleged fictitious office, with the assistance of suspected collaborators within the OSGF.
Aliyu further disclosed that investigators discovered that Nwabueze allegedly used multiple identities in the course of operating the organisation.

The ICPC chairman said the latest discovery had prompted further action by the Federal Government, including the suspension of the affected permanent secretaries and the directive for Nwabueze’s immediate arrest.

The development comes amid intensified scrutiny of government offices and procedures following the ICPC’s investigation into the alleged creation and operation of unauthorised agencies and offices within the Federal Government.

The Commission is expected to continue its investigation to establish the full extent of the alleged activities, identify other individuals who may have been involved and determine how the purported office secured access to government facilities.

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Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued four civilians, including two women and two male minors, who were allegedly held captive by Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists for about three years in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

The victims were rescued at about 6am on Friday, August 21, during a search-and-rescue operation conducted by troops of the 123 Special Forces Battalion (Mobile).
The operation followed intelligence reports on the movement of suspected terrorist escapees around Kauwa village.
According to security sources who spoke to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the rescued civilians comprised two women, a teenage boy and another male minor.
Preliminary debriefing reportedly revealed that the victims were abducted from Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State about three years ago before being taken to the Dogon Chuku terrorist camp, where they remained in captivity until their rescue.
The sources said the victims were provided with food and subsequently profiled by the military after they were rescued.
They were later taken to the 19 Brigade Medical Centre for medical attention and are expected to be transferred to the Theatre Headquarters for further screening, assistance and rehabilitation.
The rescue operation is part of ongoing military efforts under Operation Hadin Kai and the Multinational Joint Task Force to locate civilians held in terrorist enclaves, disrupt insurgent networks and deny Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters freedom of movement in the Lake Chad region.
Security sources said the rescued civilians would undergo further screening and debriefing to gather information that could assist ongoing military operations and provide details about the activities and locations of terrorists operating in the area.

The operation also highlights the importance of intelligence-led missions in identifying movements around communities and areas suspected to have been infiltrated or controlled by terrorist groups.

Troops have continued to conduct clearance operations, patrols and targeted raids across parts of Borno State in an effort to disrupt terrorist logistics, dismantle their networks and rescue civilians trapped in insurgency-affected communities.
Boko Haram and ISWAP have continued to exploit remote settlements and difficult terrain around the Lake Chad Basin to launch attacks and hold civilians captive.

The rescued victims are expected to remain under military care while authorities establish the full circumstances surrounding their abduction and captivity and determine whether other civilians may still be held in terrorist camps in the area.

The identities of the rescued civilians have not been made public, while authorities have yet to provide further details about their condition beyond confirming that they are receiving medical attention.

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President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Friday, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for giving his approval, for the Bill establishing the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, in Obio Akpa, Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

He also lauded Governor Umo Eno, for promptly releasing the Obio Akpa campus of the Akwa Ibom State University for the smooth take-off of the institution.

Akpabio gave the commendation at the funeral service in honour of former Majority Leader of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Late Hon.(Elder) Imo Akpan Ibokette.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom quoted Akpabio as saying, ” I look forward to the admission of the first batch of the students into the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, in this Senatorial District. Let me thank President Bola Tinubu for signing the bill which establised the University. Let me also thank our dear Governor, Pastor Umo Eno for also releasing a campus of the Akwa Ibom State University for the commencement of academic activities this year.

“Late Ibokette we are laying to rest today, was the first to call and thank me on hearing of the passage of the bill establishing the University. His death is a personal loss to me. The Ibokette’s family and I share an intimate affinity that spans decades. Even the weight of political differences did not attenuate the relationship we shared. So, I personally mourn his demise,”he stated.

The Funeral Service, in honour of the late lawmaker held at the Abak International Nursery/Primary School, in Abak Local Government Area and was conducted by the Apostolic Church Nigeria.

Akpabio described him as a patriot, selfless leader, loving father and a hardworking personality, who braced the odds in life to achieve what he achieved in life before his demise, saying, “he did his best and witnessed the uncommon transformation which he fought and worked for before his departure.”