Breaking: Dangote moves against NMDPRA Chief in ICPC petition over alleged abuse of office
The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of corruption and financial misconduct against the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Ahmed Farouk.
In the petition dated December 16 and addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Dangote called for the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the NMDPRA chief, accusing him of living far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public official.
Dangote alleged that Ahmed expended more than $7 million on the education of his four children in elite secondary schools in Switzerland, with fees paid upfront for a six-year period. According to the petition, the businessman provided the names of the children, their respective schools and the amounts allegedly paid, urging the anti-graft agency to verify the claims.
The industrialist further accused Ahmed of abusing his office by using the machinery of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal benefit, actions he said have fueled public outrage and recent protests by various groups.
Dangote maintained that Ahmed has spent his entire adult life in Nigeria’s public sector, arguing that his cumulative earnings could not reasonably account for such huge foreign education expenses. He alleged that the funds were unlawfully sourced from public coffers and used to finance the overseas education of the official’s children.
“It is beyond doubt that the facts disclosed point to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement, all of which constitute gross acts of corruption,” Dangote stated, noting that Section 19 of the ICPC Act empowers the commission to investigate and prosecute such offences, which carry a penalty of up to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
He urged the ICPC to act decisively, stressing that the matter is already in the public domain and requires urgent intervention to uphold accountability and protect the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Dangote also pledged to make himself available to provide evidence in support of his allegations against the NMDPRA boss.
The Kano-born businessman had earlier raised the allegations during a press briefing on Sunday at the Dangote Refinery in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos, where he questioned Ahmed’s source of wealth. He contrasted the alleged foreign education expenses with the reality faced by many Nigerian parents who struggle to pay modest school fees.
Following the interview, Dangote published further details in a national newspaper on Tuesday before submitting the formal petition to the ICPC.
He also accused the NMDPRA of undermining efforts to strengthen local refining capacity, alleging that the continued issuance of import licences has frustrated domestic refining initiatives.
