The Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, over allegations of corruption and financial impropriety.
The petition, dated December 16 and submitted through Dangote’s lawyer, Dr Ogwu James Onoja (SAN), calls for the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Farouk Ahmed for allegedly living far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public servant.
According to the petition addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Dangote accused the NMDPRA boss of expending more than $7m on the education of his four children in Switzerland over a six-year period without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.
Dangote reportedly provided the names of the four children, the Swiss schools they attended and the specific sums allegedly paid for each of them, urging the anti-graft agency to verify the claims.
The oil magnate further alleged that Farouk Ahmed used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal benefit and the pursuit of private interests, actions he said had fuelled public outrage and protests by various groups in recent times.
He maintained that Farouk Ahmed had spent his entire adult working life in Nigeria’s public sector and that his cumulative earnings over the years could not reasonably account for the alleged $7m said to have been paid upfront for the overseas education of his children.
In the petition, Dangote stated that the allegations amount to grave corruption-related offences.
“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement constitute gross acts of corrupt practices for which your Commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” the petition read.
Dangote further noted that the law prescribes severe punishment upon conviction.
“Upon a successful prosecution under Section 19 of the ICPC Act, the offender is liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine,” he stated.
Expressing confidence in the anti-graft agency, Dangote said the ICPC is well
positioned to handle the matter.
“We make bold to state that the ICPC is strategically positioned, alongside sister agencies, to prosecute financial crimes and other corruption-related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders,” he said.
Dangote urged the commission to act decisively on the allegations against Farouk Ahmed, stressing that the matter is already in the public domain.
“Being a matter already in the public domain, we have no reservation that the Commission will not close its eyes to it but will act decisively to ensure that justice is done and the good image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is protected,” the petition added.
Dangote also assured the commission of his readiness to cooperate fully with investigators.
“We remain available and ready to present further evidence in proof of the allegations of corrupt enrichment, abuse of office and impunity against Engr. Farouk Ahmed,” he stated.
Similarly, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has petitioned the ICPC to investigate allegations of corruption, economic sabotage, and living beyond legitimate means against the NMDPRA boss.
This came after Dangote recently raised the allegations that Ahmed was living far beyond his legitimate income.
In a petition dated December 15, 2025, CACOL noted that if proven, the claim could amount to illicit enrichment, abuse of office, and violations of existing anti-corruption laws.
The petition also accused the NMDPRA chief of engaging in actions amounting to economic sabotage, particularly through regulatory decisions allegedly capable of undermining domestic refining in Nigeria.
CACOL argued that such actions could frustrate local refining efforts, discourage investment in the sector, and perpetuate Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
Describing the allegations as grave, CACOL stressed that failure to address them transparently could erode public confidence in government institutions, especially in a sector as strategic as oil and gas.
The group therefore called on the ICPC to immediately commence a comprehensive investigation into the allegations of living beyond legitimate means, examine claims bordering on economic sabotage, and prosecute any individual found culpable in line with the law.
“CACOL is deeply concerned that allegations of this magnitude, involving a senior public official entrusted with regulating a critical sector of the Nigerian economy, could erode public confidence in government institutions if not transparently and decisively addressed.
“We strongly believe that no individual should be above the law and that allegations bordering on corruption, abuse of office, and economic sabotage must be subjected to independent, professional, and comprehensive investigation,” the petition read.
CACOL reaffirmed its commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance, and expressed confidence in the ICPC’s statutory mandate to handle the matter with the seriousness it deserves.
“CACOL remains committed to the fight against corruption and the promotion of transparency, accountability, and good governance in Nigeria. We trust in the integrity and statutory mandate of the ICPC to handle this matter with the seriousness and urgency it deserves,” it added.
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