Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, has formally petitioned Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) seeking the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of Ahmed Farouk, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The petition alleges corruption and accuses Farouk of living far beyond his legitimate means.
The petition, dated and submitted on Tuesday through Dangote’s lawyer Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, contains detailed allegations. It accuses Farouk of spending over seven million dollars on upfront education fees for his four children at Swiss schools over a six-year period, a sum deemed unjustifiable by a career public servant’s income. Dangote’s filing included the children’s names and school details to facilitate official verification.
This legal action escalates a protracted and public dispute between Africa’s richest man and the nation’s key petroleum regulator. The conflict stems from operational grievances at the $20 billion Dangote Refinery in Lagos, including disputes over import licences and fuel quality standards. The petition directly invokes Section 19 of the ICPC Act, which stipulates a five-year imprisonment without the option of a fine for convictions related to corrupt enrichment.
In response to the allegations and growing public scrutiny, the House of Representatives has summoned both parties to resolve the escalating tensions. Civil society organizations have concurrently called for independent probes into the regulator’s conduct. The NMDPRA has previously dismissed similar claims as a coordinated smear campaign aimed at tarnishing its reputation.
