THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has formally invited billionaire industrialist, Aliko Dangote, to provide further information and supporting evidence in respect of his petition against the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.
Sources familiar with the development confirmed that Dangote has been asked to appear before the commission on Monday, or to be represented by his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), as the anti-graft agency commences full-scale investigation into the petition.
The ICPC is said to have constituted a special panel of senior investigators on Friday to handle the probe, underscoring the seriousness with which the commission is treating the allegations.
Dangote, in his petition, accused the former NMDPRA boss of corruption, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds, alleging that Ahmed spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in elite secondary schools in Switzerland—an expenditure he described as inconsistent with the lawful earnings of a public servant.
According to ICPC sources, the commission has requested Dangote to formally adopt his petition and submit documentary evidence to support the claims.
“He who alleges must prove or provide credible leads for investigators to act upon,” a senior ICPC official said, adding that the commission had acknowledged receipt of the petition within the statutory 48-hour window.
“All is set for the investigation. The ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), has directed a team of trusted investigators to focus squarely on this petition. This reflects the importance attached to the matter,” the source said.
The official disclosed that once Dangote or his legal representative adopts the petition, the commission would isolate the issues raised and formally invite Farouk Ahmed to respond to the allegations.
“We have been inundated with enquiries, but we assure the public that the ICPC will be fair to all parties involved,” the source added.
The commission stressed that Ahmed’s recent resignation from office does not affect the investigation, noting that the matter remains firmly in the public interest.
“Resignation does not stop a corruption probe. Section 19 of the ICPC Act makes it an offence for a public officer to use his position to confer corrupt or unfair advantage on himself, his relatives or associates,” the source explained.
Under the law, anyone found guilty faces up to five years imprisonment without the option of a fine. The ICPC also warned that the law provides sanctions against individuals who submit malicious or frivolous petitions that waste public resources.
Dangote’s petition, submitted on December 16, 2025, specifically demanded the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Ahmed for allegedly living far above his means as a public servant.
The document reportedly listed the names of Ahmed’s children, the Swiss schools they attended, and the specific sums allegedly paid for tuition and upkeep over a six-year period.
“Engr. Farouk Ahmed spent, without evidence of lawful income, humongous sums of over $7 million of public funds for the education of his four children in Switzerland,” Dangote alleged in the petition.
He further claimed that the alleged conduct constituted abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement.
Beyond the school fees allegation, Dangote also accused the former NMDPRA chief of economic sabotage, alleging that he undermined domestic refining efforts by colluding with foreign oil traders and importers through the continued issuance of petroleum import licences.
The dispute between Dangote and petroleum regulators had earlier spilled into the courts, with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE filing a ₦100 billion lawsuit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the issuance of import licences by the NMDPRA, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and others.
The refinery argued that the licences violated provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act by allowing fuel imports despite sufficient domestic refining capacity. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, was later withdrawn in July 2025.
Confirming the latest development, ICPC spokesperson John Okor Odey said the commission had received Dangote’s petition and would investigate it thoroughly.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission received a formal petition on Tuesday, 16th December 2025, from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer. The petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed. The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated,” Odey said.