Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has filed a formal petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed, alleging corruption and abuse of office.
The ICPC confirmed receipt of the petition on Tuesday through its spokesperson, John Okor Odey, stating that the complaint was submitted by Dangote through his legal counsel. The anti-graft agency said the allegations would be thoroughly investigated in line with its statutory mandate.
According to Dangote’s lawyer, Innocent Adoh, the petition accuses the NMDPRA boss of deriving undue benefits from public office, contrary to Section 19 of the ICPC Act. Adoh claimed that evidence attached to the petition shows that more than $7 million is allegedly being spent annually on overseas school fees for Ahmed’s children, a figure he argued is inconsistent with the earnings of a public servant. He added that Dangote, as a taxpayer, was within his rights to petition the commission and called on the ICPC to establish the facts.
“The ICPC will determine whether there is wrongdoing. If there is, prosecution will naturally follow,” Adoh said.
Dangote’s Accusations
The petition follows weeks of escalating public accusations by Dangote against the petroleum regulator. The industrialist has alleged that the NMDPRA leadership engaged in corruption and economic sabotage, including claims that the regulator spent millions of dollars on foreign education for the CEO’s children and issued what he described as reckless import licences for refined petroleum products despite Nigeria’s growing local refining capacity.
Dangote has also accused the agency of releasing production figures that allegedly misrepresent the actual output of his Lekki-based Dangote Petroleum Refinery, arguing that such reports distort operational realities and undermine confidence in domestic refining.
The controversy has drawn the attention of civil society groups. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the ICPC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau to jointly investigate the allegations, recover any illicit funds if established, and strengthen transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Earlier in 2025, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE filed a N100 billion lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the issuance of petroleum import licences by the NMDPRA and other agencies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The suit alleged violations of the Petroleum Industry Act and harm to local refining. However, the case was withdrawn in July 2025 after Dangote’s legal team filed a notice of discontinuance.
