THE Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has filed a formal petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing a former Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of alleged corruption and abuse of office.
News Point Nigeria reports that the petition, submitted through Dangote’s legal team and signed by his lead counsel, Dr. O. J. Onoja, SAN, was lodged at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja following the withdrawal of a similar complaint earlier filed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Sources familiar with the matter said the withdrawal from the ICPC was a strategic decision intended to fast-track investigations and possible prosecution by the EFCC, which has broader jurisdiction over financial crimes and illicit enrichment.
In the petition, Dangote urged the EFCC to investigate what he described as allegations of abuse of office, corrupt enrichment and financial impropriety against the former petroleum regulator and to prosecute him if found culpable.
The filing marks an escalation in the long-running dispute between Dangote and the petroleum regulatory authority, particularly over policies affecting fuel importation and local refining.
According to the petition, Dangote alleged that Ahmed lived far beyond his legitimate means while in office, raising concerns about the integrity of regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
Dangote specifically claimed that the former NMDPRA boss spent millions of dollars on foreign education, alleging that four of Ahmed’s children attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland, with tuition and related expenses reportedly running into several million dollars.
The businessman argued that such expenditure, if proven, could not be reconciled with Ahmed’s known earnings as a public servant and warranted a thorough investigation.
In the document addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, Dangote’s counsel stated that his client was prepared to provide documentary and testimonial evidence to substantiate the allegations.
“We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned, along with sister agencies, to investigate and prosecute financial crimes and corruption-related offences,” the petition read, citing judicial authorities to support the call for prosecution where a prima facie case is established.
Onoja urged the anti-graft agency to act decisively, noting that a prompt and transparent investigation would strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework.
“The commission’s firm resolve in handling this matter with dispatch is imperative and expedient, and will serve as a deterrent to other public officers with similar corrupt tendencies,” the petition added.
Dangote’s petition also revisits his long-standing grievances with the NMDPRA, particularly allegations that regulatory decisions under Ahmed’s leadership favoured the continued issuance of fuel import licences, a move Dangote has repeatedly argued undermines local refining efforts, including investments in domestic refinery capacity.
It will be recalled that on December 14, 2025, Dangote publicly raised concerns about Ahmed’s financial dealings and lifestyle, calling for an independent investigation into what he described as potential conflicts of interest and regulatory compromise.
He maintained that ensuring accountability within regulatory institutions was critical to restoring trust in Nigeria’s petroleum sector and safeguarding the integrity of policy implementation.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the EFCC nor Farouk Ahmed had issued an official response to the petition. The anti-graft agency is expected to review the complaint and determine the next line of action in line with its statutory mandate.