Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), demanding a full investigation into alleged abuse of office and corrupt enrichment by Ahmed Farouk, Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
In the petition dated December 16 and received on Tuesday at the office of the ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, in Abuja, Dangote urged the anti-corruption agency to act in the public interest by probing what he described as clear indicators of illicit wealth and regulatory misconduct within a critical national institution.
Submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, the petition called for Farouk’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution, alleging that the NMDPRA chief has lived far beyond what his lawful earnings as a career public servant could support.
Central to the allegations is the claim that Farouk spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, with payments allegedly made upfront for a six-month period. Dangote argued that such expenditure raises serious questions about transparency, integrity, and compliance with the Code of Conduct for public officers.
According to the petition, details of the children, the Swiss institutions they attend, and the amounts allegedly paid were supplied to the ICPC to enable independent verification and forensic investigation.
Beyond personal enrichment, Dangote accused Farouk of using the authority and resources of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for private interests, warning that such actions, if proven, represent a grave breach of public trust and undermine regulatory credibility in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Dangote maintained that Farouk’s entire professional career has been within the Nigerian public service, insisting that his legitimate earnings over the years could not reasonably account for the alleged $7 million expenditure on foreign education.
“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 corruption for which your Commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” the petition stated.
Dangote noted that successful prosecution under the provision attracts a mandatory five-year prison term without an option of a fine.
The petition follows Dangote’s public comments during a press briefing in Lagos on Sunday, where he accused regulatory leadership of failures and alleged corruption in the downstream petroleum sector, arguing that weak oversight and impunity discourage investment and distort market fairness.
He warned that failure by anti-corruption agencies to thoroughly investigate the allegations could further erode public confidence and send negative signals to both local and international investors.
The allegations also echo earlier protests in June 2025, when demonstrators marched to the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation, the Code of Conduct Bureau, and the ICPC in Abuja, demanding Farouk’s resignation over claims of abuse of office.
The NMDPRA has denied the allegations, describing them as false and politically motivated, and insisting that they amount to a coordinated smear campaign against its chief executive and leadership.
