Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja — Africa’s wealthiest businessman, Dr. Aliko Dangote, has escalated a high-profile dispute with the leadership of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agency by formally petitioning the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling for an urgent investigation into alleged corruption, abuse of office and illicit enrichment by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engineer Farouk Ahmed. The petition, submitted on December 16, 2025, before the year’s end, accuses Ahmed of living far beyond the means of a career public servant and demands his arrest, prosecution and thorough scrutiny of his official conduct.
In his detailed submission addressed to ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Dangote, represented legally by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ogwu Onoja (SAN), alleged that Ahmed spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, paying tuition for six years in advance without any evident lawful source of income commensurate with such expenditure. The petition reportedly names each child and their respective schools, urging the anti-graft agency to verify these claims and “establish clear evidence of corrupt enrichment.”
Dangote’s move comes amid growing public scrutiny of the regulator, which was established to oversee Nigeria’s downstream and midstream petroleum sectors. Critics, including Dangote, have accused the authority of failing to prioritise domestic refining and of enabling excessive petroleum imports that undermine local industry, a dispute that has become increasingly vocal in recent months. While Dangote’s petition centres on allegations of personal financial impropriety, it is set against a broader backdrop of tension between private sector stakeholders and regulatory officials over Nigeria’s energy policy direction.
The billionaire industrialist’s allegations extend beyond mere lifestyle scrutiny. In the petition, Dangote asserts that Ahmed’s conduct amounts to abuse of office and public funds embezzlement. According to the businessman, such actions harm the broader Nigerian public and have stoked protests by civic groups and stakeholders frustrated by perceived regulatory malpractice. “These allegations, if proven, demonstrate a clear misuse of public office for private interest, to the detriment of Nigerians,” the submission is reported to read.
Dangote’s legal team calls on the ICPC not only to investigate but also to prosecute Ahmed for contraventions of anti-corruption laws. Under the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, the commission has statutory authority to pursue cases of corrupt enrichment and abuse of office, with penalties including imprisonment for offenders if conviction is secured.
The specific focus of the petition — $7 million in education expenses — mirrors earlier public statements by Dangote, who in media briefings highlighted concerns over the lifestyle of the NMDPRA boss. Those remarks, made at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Lagos, questioned how a career public servant could afford extensive overseas schooling for his children, including secondary education in Switzerland and alleged further tertiary expenditures abroad, without an identifiable income stream beyond his official salary.
Civil society reactions to Dangote’s claims have been mixed. While some advocacy groups have welcomed calls for accountability and transparency in public service, others have criticised moments of public assertion as bypassing due process. Representatives of some civil society organisations argued that raising allegations in public without first employing appropriate institutional channels could undermine procedural fairness and institutional stability, cautioning against premature judgments before formal investigations are concluded.
Political figures and commentators have also weighed in, with some urging swift action by government authorities. Calls have been made for President Bola Tinubu to take decisive steps, including the suspension of the NMDPRA boss pending investigation, to underscore the administration’s commitment to anti-corruption efforts. Others have urged reliance on established processes through relevant agencies such as the ICPC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau to ensure impartial and comprehensive fact-finding.
The allegations come at a sensitive time for Nigeria’s downstream sector, which has been under intense public and private scrutiny due to its central role in the nation’s energy security and economic stability. Dangote’s own $20 billion refinery in Lagos has been positioned as a game-changer intended to reduce dependence on imported fuel, yet disagreements over regulatory policy and market dynamics have strained relations between industry stakeholders and government regulators.
For his part, Ahmed has not publicly responded in detail to the petition. Historically, the NMDPRA has dismissed similar allegations as unfounded, framing them as part of broader disputes or media campaigns against its leadership. But the formal docketing of this latest petition with the ICPC places the matter squarely within the orbit of Nigeria’s legal and enforcement mechanisms, obliging the anti-graft agency to consider whether an official inquiry should be launched.
Legal experts note that while high-profile petitions of this nature are relatively uncommon, they underscore the increasing role of private citizens and corporations in demanding accountability from public officials. If the ICPC elects to act on Dangote’s petition, it could trigger a comprehensive investigation into asset declaration, income sources and the financial conduct of a sitting regulatory chief. Such an inquiry would carry implications for public confidence in governance and could influence future standards for transparency among public office holders.
The ICPC faces a decision point: whether to initiate a full investigation and possibly file charges in court, or to dismiss the petition if evidence is deemed insufficient. In either scenario, the process will be watched closely by Nigerians fatigued by perceptions of widespread corruption and by international investors monitoring governance in Africa’s largest economy.
As the controversy unfolds, both supporters and detractors of Dangote’s position are likely to remain vocal. For many ordinary citizens, the case resonates with broader frustrations over economic hardship, perceived inequality and the demands for accountability from public servants entrusted with national resources. In that context, the petition to the ICPC marks another chapter in Nigeria’s ongoing struggle to strengthen institutional integrity and uphold the rule of law.
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