Dangote Moves Corruption Petition Against Ex-NMDPRA Boss, Farouk Ahmed, to EFCC

Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has filed a formal petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, over alleged corruption and abuse of office.

The petition, submitted through Dangote’s legal team and signed by lead counsel, Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN, was lodged at the EFCC headquarters following the withdrawal of a similar petition earlier filed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).The decision to approach the EFCC was taken to fast-track investigation and prosecution.

In the document, Dangote urged the EFCC to investigate allegations of corrupt enrichment and abuse of office against Ahmed and to prosecute him if a prima facie case is established. The petition cited relevant judicial authorities to underscore the EFCC’s mandate and capacity to handle financial crimes and corruption cases.

The petition, called on the commission under the leadership of its Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, to act with dispatch, stressing that a firm response would serve as a deterrent to other public officers with similar tendencies.

“The commission’s firm resolve in handling this matter with dispatch is not only imperative and expedient but will also serve as a deterrent to other public officers,” the petition stated.

The move, Dangote said, reflects his commitment to transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, particularly in regulatory institutions entrusted with oversight responsibilities.

Dangote, had on December 14, 2025, publicly raised concerns about Ahmed’s financial lifestyle, alleging that the former regulator was living far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public officer. Central to the allegations are claims that four of Ahmed’s children attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into millions of dollars.

Dangote listed the schools attended by Mr. Ahmed’s children as follows: Faisal Farouk (Montreux School), Farouk Jr. (Aiglon College), Ashraf Farouk (Institut Le Rosey), and Farhana Farouk (La Garenne International School), stating that each child reportedly spent six years in these institutions. He estimated annual tuition, travel and upkeep per child at about $200,000, bringing the total cost of secondary education for the four children to approximately $5 million.

The petition further alleged that an additional $2 million was spent on their tertiary education, including about $210,000 for one of the children’s Harvard MBA programme in 2025.

“Nigerians deserve to know the source of these funds, especially when many parents in Mr. Ahmed’s home state of Sokoto struggle to pay as little as ₦10,000 in school fees,” Dangote was quoted as saying.

The petition calls on the EFCC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the allegations in order to ensure accountability and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s regulatory agencies.