Dangote Petitions ICPC, Seeks Probe of NMDPRA Chief Over Alleged Corruption

The Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), demanding the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, over alleged corruption and abuse of office.

The petition, dated December 16, 2025, was submitted to the ICPC through Dangote’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, and received by the office of the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, SAN. In it, the business mogul accused Farouk of living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant.

Dangote alleged that the NMDPRA chief spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, allegedly paid upfront for a six-year period, without any lawful income to justify such expenditure. He claimed the funds were drawn from public resources through abuse of office.

The petition stated that Farouk “grossly abused his office contrary to the provisions of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers” and engaged in “monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into millions of dollars.”

According to Dangote, Farouk, who has spent his entire adult working life in public service, could not have legitimately accumulated the alleged sum based on his earnings over the years. He further accused the NMDPRA boss of using his position to embezzle and divert public funds for personal and private interests.

Dangote reportedly provided details of the four children, the Swiss schools they attend and the amounts allegedly paid on their behalf, urging the ICPC to independently verify the claims.

“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,” the petition said, citing Section 19 of the ICPC Act, which prescribes a five-year jail term without an option of fine upon conviction.

Dangote expressed confidence in the ICPC and other anti-graft agencies to investigate the allegations and ensure accountability if a prima facie case is established. He added that decisive action by the Commission would help uphold justice and protect the image of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The billionaire businessman also pledged to provide documentary evidence to substantiate his claims, noting that the allegations had already generated public concern and could undermine investor confidence if left unresolved.

The petition followed earlier public allegations made by Dangote at a press briefing in Lagos, where he accused the NMDPRA leadership of regulatory failures and corruption in the downstream petroleum sector.

Similar allegations were raised against Farouk in June 2025, when protesters marched to the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the ICPC in Abuja, calling for his resignation. The NMDPRA has previously denied all allegations, describing them as a coordinated smear campaign against its chief executive.