The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has invited billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote for more information in respect of 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 appear or send his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN) on Monday, December 22, 2025 when ICPC’s is expected to commence investigation into his petition.
Already, on Friday, the anti-graft agency has raised a panel of crack investigators to handle the probe, thus requested Dangote to furnish it with more evidence to back his allegations against Ahmed.
Dangote had accused Farouk of corruption and misappropriation of funds, including spending millions of dollars on his four children’s education in expensive and exclusive schools in Switzerland.
He also accused Ahmed of economic sabotage by undermining domestic refining and colluding with international traders and oil importers through the continued issuance of import licences.
The development led to Farouk resigning his appointment.
Despite the resignation of Farouk Ahmed as Managing Director of NMDPRA, the ICPC insisted that it is going ahead with the investigation.
A credible source at the ICPC said that the commission has set up a panel of crack investigators on Dangote’s petition, adding that the Chairman of the commission, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has directed the crack and trusted team to stay action on a case and focus on Dangote’s petition.
The source noted that the development underscored the importance attached to petition by Dangote particularly when viewed against the backdrop of the economic interest of the country.
The source further said; “We have also invited Dangote or his lawyer to come on Monday to adopt the petition. Either of them is to present relevant documents or evidence to support the petition.
“He who alleges must prove or provide lead on the allegations which our investigators must act on. We have acknowledged the receipt of the petition in line with our guidelines or mandate to do so within 48 hours.
“After formal adoption of the petition, we will isolate issues and ask Ahmed to respond to the allegations. We have been inundated with enquiries, but I can assure you that ICPC will be fair to all the parties,” the source said.
The source also said that the resignation of Ahmed does not affect this probe which is in the public interest, adding that Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act (ICPC Act 2000), makes it an offence for any public officer to use his/her position to confer an unfair or corrupt advantage on himself, his relatives, associates, or other public officers, saying that anyone found guilty of any such offence is liable to five years imprisonment without the option of a fine.
The source also explained that the enabling law also stipulates harsh punishment for individuals deemed to have wasted ICPC’s time and resources by making malicious or frivolous petitions against others.
In the petition submitted on Tuesday through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, Dangote demanded the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Ahmed for allegedly living above his means as a public servant, stressing that the ex-boss of NMDPRA was spending without evidence of lawful means of income amounting to over $7 million for the education of his four children in Switzerland.
The document submitted by Dangote named the children and their schools and provided specific amounts paid for verification.
The petition stated; “Engr Farouk Ahmed spent without evidence of lawful means of income humongous amount of money of over $7million of public funds, for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront.
“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 constitute gross acts of corrupt practices, for which ICPC is statutorily empowered under section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote said.
The cold war between Dangote and petroleum regulators had earlier sparked a N100billion suit as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE filed a N100 billion lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging import licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and others, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Dangote Refinery pointedly accused the regulator of granting licences to import refined petroleum products despite domestic production capacity, emphasising that the action of the regulator, violated some sections of the Petroleum Industry Act.
The suit with number ‘FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024’, was later discontinued in July 2025 by Dangote’s lawyers.
ICPC petition guidelines say: “Any person anywhere in the world may make a complaint against any other person (corporate or non-corporate) in Nigeria, where reasonable grounds exist for suspecting that such a person has conspired to commit or attempted to commit or has committed an offence under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
- Complaint/petition is made through oral/written report submitted through post, physically to any ICPC office in Nigeria.
- A complaint made orally or by an illiterate shall be reduced into writing and read over to the complainant by an officer of the Commission.
- The report shall set out details of the complaint, date, time and place where the offence was allegedly committed.
- The complainant shall provide the names and addresses, phone number, email and other relevant information that may assist the Commission in locating the person or persons against whom the complaint is made.
- The complainant shall state his/her full address, email or phone number or any other information that will assist the commission in contacting him/her, whenever necessary.
- Reports can also be made online through any of the commission’s reporting platforms.
- The commission shall acknowledge receipt of any petition within 48 hours.
Spokesperson of ICPC, John Okor Odey confirmed that the commission “received a formal petition on Tuesday, 16th December, 2025 from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer, saying that the petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.
Odey said; “The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated”.
…Sourced from THE NATION
