ICPC insists on NMDPRA ex-CEO probe as Dangote withdraws petition

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to investigating the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, despite the withdrawal of a petition by billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote.

Dangote had filed the petition on December 16, 2025, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), urging the ICPC to investigate and potentially prosecute Ahmed over allegations of corruption and financial impropriety.

The petition alleged that Ahmed spent over $7m on the education of his four children in Switzerland, reportedly paid upfront for a six-year period, without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.

It also accused Ahmed of diverting public funds for personal gain through his position at the NMDPRA, claims which Dangote said had fueled public outrage and civil society protests.

However, the ICPC said it received a letter dated January 5, 2026, from Dangote’s lawyer notifying the commission that the petition had been withdrawn and that another law enforc