The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to continue the investigation of Ahmed Farouk, the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). This resolution persists despite the withdrawal of a petition by Aliko Dangote.
The commission acknowledged receipt of a “notice of withdrawal” pertaining to the petition against Ahmed, submitted by Dangote’s legal counsel.
Nevertheless, the ICPC emphasized that according to sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling law, the investigation will proceed in the interest of transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is in receipt of a letter dated January 5, 2026, 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,” a statement from the commission’s spokesperson, J. Okor Odey, partially stated.
“The letter from O. J. Onoja SAN indicates that the petitioner has withdrawn the petition dated 16 December 2025, against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past ACE/CEO of the NMDPRA, in its entirety, noting that another law enforcement agency has taken over.
“The ICPC wishes to clarify 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 currently ongoing,” the statement continued.
Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, had filed a petition against Ahmed in December 2025, alleging corruption and financial misconduct.
In his petition submitted on December 16, Dangote requested the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of the former MD for allegedly living beyond his means as a public servant.
The petition, received by the ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu (SAN), specifically accused the former NMDPRA head of inexplicably spending over $7 million upfront for the education of his four children in various Swiss schools over six years.
In the petition, Dangote detailed the names of the children and their respective schools in Switzerland, along with the amounts paid, to substantiate his claims for verification by the anti-graft agency.
He alleged that Ahmed misused the authority of the NMDPRA to embezzle and misappropriate public funds for personal gain, which sparked considerable public outcry and protests from various groups.
Dangote contended that throughout his adulthood, Ahmed had solely worked in the public sector in Nigeria, asserting that his total earnings over the years could not have amounted to $7 million.
The businessman claimed that public funds were allegedly diverted to finance the education of Ahmed’s teenage children abroad.
However, Ahmed has denied these allegations.
He characterized them as “wild and spurious.”
The conflict between Dangote and Ahmed traces back to July 2024, when the former NMDPRA chief criticized local refineries, including Dangote’s, for producing inferior products compared to imports.
