ICPC: We’re Going Ahead to Probe Farouk Despite Withdrawal of Petition by Dangote

• EFCC may take over investigation

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), yesterday, said it would continue its investigation of corruption allegations against the immediate past Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, despite the withdrawal of the petition by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Farouk had resigned as CEO of the NMDPRA shortly after Dangote’s petition to the ICPC, seeking his arrest and investigation over alleged corruption.

But before the anti-graft agency could conclude investigation, Dangote requested the ICPC to discontinue its probe of Farouk.

THISDAY was reliably informed that the request to ICPC to discontinue was to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) take over the investigation.

The ICPC in a statement by its Spokesperson/Head Media and Public Communications, John Odey, pointed out that although it was in receipt of a letter dated January 5, 2025, titled: “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed,” submitted to the Commission by Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN and Associates, legal counsel to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the commission would nonetheless proceed with ongoing investigation in line with its enabling Act.

“The letter from O.J Onoja SAN, states that the petitioner has withdrawn the petition dated December 16, 2025, submitted against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past ACE/CEO of the NMDPRA in its entirety and that another law enforcement agency has taken over.

“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that in line with the provisions of sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing.

“The ICPC will therefore continue to investigate this matter in line with its statutory mandate and in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria,” the statement read in part.

Dangote had last month called on the ICPC to arrest, investigate and prosecute Farouk for offences bordering on corruption and financial impropriety, in the performance of his duties as CEO of the petroleum regulatory agency.

The businessman in the petition, submitted to the office of the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), alleged that Farouk spent over $7 million on the education of four of his children in Switzerland.

According to the petition, a copy which was seen by our correspondent, Farouk was said to have paid his children’s fees up-front for a six-month period, without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.

The petitioner had further claimed that the NMDPRA boss grossly abused his office contrary to the extant provisions of the Code of Conduct for public officers and by some doing enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into million of dollars.

“That Engr. Farouk Ahmed spent without evidence of lawful means of income humongous amount of money of over 7million dollars of Public funds for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront,” the petition read in part.

To buttress his allegations Dangote had given the names of the four children, the Swiss schools they attend, the amount paid for each of them, to the ICPC for verification and confirmation.

The business mogul had also alleged that Farouk used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions which he claimed had fuelled public outrage and recent protests by various groups.

Attempting to substantiate the corruption allegations, Dangote pointed out that the NMDPRA boss spent his entire adult working life in the Nigerian public sector and as such could not, based on his legitimate earnings over the years, have accumulated funds close to the alleged seven million dollars used to finance his children’s education abroad.

“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 are gross acts of corrupt practices for which your Commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute.

“That Engr. Farouk Ahmed has corruptly enriched himself with tax payers money meant for public consumption and diverted them into private uses.

“Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five(5) years without option of fine,” Dangote said.