ICPC to probe Dangote’s allegations against NMDPRA boss

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday said it will launch an investigation into the allegations of corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed, the Authority Chief Executive (ACE) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had petitioned ICPC, seeking the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Farouk over alleged corruption and abuse of office.

In a petition dated December 16 and submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), Dangote accused the NMDPRA boss of living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant.

The petition, which was acknowledged by the office of the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), alleged that Farouk spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.

The petition followed allegations by Dangote during a press briefing in Lagos, where he raised concerns about regulatory failures and alleged corruption in the downstream petroleum sector.

Dangote had also accused the NMDPRA leadership of regulatory sabotage by indiscriminately issuing import licences to frustrate local refining.

Dangote claimed that the fees were paid upfront for a six-year period, describing the spending as a clear violation of the code of conduct for public officers and an act of corrupt enrichment.

The petition said, “Engr Farouk Ahmed has grossly abused his office and enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into millions of dollars. He spent, without evidence of lawful means of income, a humongous amount of over $7m for the education of his four children in Switzerland.”

The business mogul reportedly provided the names of the children, the Swiss schools they attend and the amounts allegedly paid for each, urging the ICPC to verify the claims.

He further alleged that Farouk used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal benefit, actions he said had triggered public outrage and protests in recent months.

Dangote argued that Farouk, having spent his entire working life in the Nigerian public sector, could not have legitimately accumulated funds close to the amount allegedly expended on foreign education for his children.

He noted that the alleged actions amounted to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement—offences, which the ICPC is empowered to investigate and prosecute under Section 19 of the ICPC Act, carrying a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

Dangote pledged to provide evidence to substantiate his claims of abuse of office, corrupt enrichment and impunity against the NMDPRA chief.

John Odey, the spokesman of the ICPC, in a statement, said that the petition will be duly investigated.

He said, “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) writes to confirm that it received a formal petition today, Tuesday, 16th December, 2025 from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer.

“The petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed. The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated.”

Marketers ask Tinubu to step in

Petrol marketers have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the escalating dispute between the Dangote Refinery and the NMDPRA, warning that the face-off could destabilise Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.

President of the Petrol Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, in an interview on Trust TV, said the situation had gone beyond private disagreements and now posed a risk to energy security and market stability.

“This is our regulator, and this is not the right atmosphere to work. We believe the President and the National Assembly, especially the downstream committees, should wade into this matter and resolve it because there is no need to heat up the downstream system at this time,” Gillis-Harry said.

He cautioned against relying solely on one refinery for national fuel supply, noting that licences for fuel importation were issued strictly to address shortfalls.

Gillis-Harry also expressed concern over sudden price reductions by the Dangote Refinery, saying abrupt changes could inflict heavy losses on marketers holding unsold stock. He explained that a N129 per litre price drop could translate into millions of naira in losses for operators.

Oil consultant and public affairs analyst, Mr. Chuks Emeka, said the dispute reflected deeper policy inconsistencies in the downstream sector.

Former senior oil worker, Engr. Kailani Mohammed said Nigeria’s real challenge remained the failure of government-owned refineries, stressing that imports were unavoidable until domestic capacity could fully meet national demand.

From Abdullateef Aliyu (Lagos), Idowu Isamotu & Al-Mustapha A. Mustapha (Abuja)

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