Dangote Petitions ICPC for Arrest of NMDPRA Chief Over Corruption Claims

Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on December 16, 2025, demanding the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority Chief Executive Ahmed Farouk. The petition, filed through lawyer Ogwu Onoja, SAN, accused Farouk of corruption and abuse of office. It reached the office of ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, SAN.

Dangote alleged that Farouk spent over seven million dollars of public funds upfront for six years on the education of his four children in various Swiss schools. Farouk, who spent his entire adult career in the public sector, lacked legitimate income to justify such expenditure, the petition claimed. It further charged him with embezzling and diverting funds for personal gain, breaching the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

The petition invoked Section 19 of the ICPC Act, which carries a five-year jail term without fine for using office to confer unfair advantages. Dangote vowed to provide evidence and urged swift action to uphold justice and safeguard President Bola Tinubu’s administration image. He noted the matter had entered public domain, eroding trust in the downstream sector.

The fresh petition followed Dangote’s recent press briefing in Lagos, where he highlighted regulatory failures and corruption risks in the sector. As scrutiny mounts, the ICPC faces pressure to probe these serious charges against a top regulator.

The case underscores tensions in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, where allegations of graft threaten investor confidence and public resources.