Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has escalated his allegations of corruption against the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, by filing a formal petition at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The move followed the withdrawal of an earlier petition from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), a step Dangote’s camp described as strategic and aimed at speeding up prosecution.
The ICPC, however, insisted that it would continue with its investigation despite the withdrawal.
The petition to the EFCC was signed by Dangote’s Lead Counsel, Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN, who urged the anti-graft agency, under the leadership of its Chairman, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, to investigate allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment against Ahmed and prosecute him if found culpable. Dangote also pledged to provide evidence to back his claims of financial misconduct and impunity.
“We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned along with sister agencies to prosecute financial crimes and corruption related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders. See Lawan v. F.R.N (2024) 12 NWLR (Pt. 1953) 501 and Shema v. F.R.N. (2018) 9 NWLR (Pt.1624)337,” the petition.
Onoja further called on the EFCC to take decisive action on the allegations.
“…to investigate the complaint of Abuse of Office and Corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting.
“The commission’s firm resolve in handling this matter with dispatch is not only imperative and expedient but will also serve as a deterrent to other public officers out there with such corrupt proneness and tendencies,” the petition read.
The development reinforces Dangote’s stated commitment to transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, particularly at a time when regulatory integrity has come under intense public scrutiny.
The allegations date back to December 14, 2025, when Dangote raised concerns about Ahmed’s financial lifestyle, alleging that the former regulator lived far beyond his legitimate means while in office.
According to Dangote, four of Ahmed’s children attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland—Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey and La Garenne International School—each spending six years in the institutions. He estimated annual tuition, travel and upkeep per child at about $200,000, putting the total cost of their secondary education at roughly $5 million.
Dangote further alleged that an additional $2 million was spent on the children’s tertiary education, including $210,000 for a 2025 Harvard MBA programme attended by one of them.