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By Adewale Sanyaolu
The President of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has filed a formal corruption petition against the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed, at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The move followed the withdrawal of the same petition from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which was described as a strategic decision aimed at accelerating the prosecution process.
In the petition signed by his lead counsel, Dr O.J. Onoja (SAN), Dangote urged the EFCC to investigate allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment against Mr Ahmed and prosecute him if found culpable.
“We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned along with sister agencies to prosecute financial crimes and corruption-related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders. See Lawan v. F.R.N (2024) 12 NWLR (Pt. 1953) 501 and Shema v. F.R.N. (2018) 9 NWLR (Pt.1624)337.”
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Onoja further urged the commission, under the leadership of Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, to investigate the complaint of abuse of office and corruption against Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting.
The petition also noted: “The commission’s firm resolve in handling this matter with dispatch is not only imperative and expedient but will also serve as a deterrent to other public officers out there with such corrupt proneness and tendencies.”
Dangote had on December 14, 2025, raised concerns about Ahmed’s financial dealings, alleging that the former regulator is living far beyond his legitimate means.
According to Dangote, four of Mr Ahmed’s children attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland, incurring costs running into several millions of dollars, an expenditure that raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum industry.
