iDeemlawfulThe Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has summoned billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote to furnish further details regarding his petition against the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.
Dangote is expected to honour the invitation today or send legal representation through his counsel, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), as the commission formally begins investigations into the petition.
Sources within the ICPC revealed that a special investigative panel was constituted on Friday to handle the case, highlighting the significance attached to the allegations.
The commission disclosed that Dangote has been requested to formally adopt the petition and present documentary evidence to substantiate the claims outlined in it.
In the petition, Dangote accused Farouk Ahmed of corruption, abuse of office, economic sabotage and misappropriation of public funds, alleging that the former regulator spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in top schools in Switzerland without a legitimate income source to justify such expenses.
Dangote also alleged that Farouk deliberately weakened local refining initiatives by allegedly collaborating with foreign oil traders and importers through the continued approval of petroleum import licences, despite the existence of adequate domestic refining capacity.
While Farouk Ahmed has since stepped down from office, the ICPC stated that his resignation does not halt the probe, noting that the matter remains of public interest.
“All is set for the investigation,” a senior ICPC source told The Nation.
“The chairman of the commission, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), directed a trusted team of investigators to focus solely on Dangote’s petition.”
The source further explained that once the petition is formally adopted, the commission would isolate the allegations and invite Farouk Ahmed to respond accordingly.
Referencing Section 19 of the ICPC Act (2000), the commission noted that it is an offence for a public officer to exploit his position for corrupt or unfair advantage for himself or relatives, an offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine. The law also provides penalties for malicious or frivolous petitions.
Dangote, in the petition submitted on Tuesday, called for the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Farouk Ahmed, accusing him of living far beyond his lawful earnings as a public official. The petition reportedly listed the names of Farouk’s children, the Swiss institutions they attended and specific sums allegedly paid over a six-year period.
The controversy follows an earlier court dispute involving Dangote and petroleum regulators. In 2024, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE filed a ₦100 billion lawsuit against the NMDPRA and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over the issuance of import licences despite local refining capacity. The case was withdrawn in July 2025.
Confirming the development, ICPC spokesperson John Okor Odey said the commission received the petition on December 16, 2025, adding that it would be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the law.