Dangote withdraws ICPC petition against ex-NMDPRA boss, Farouk Ahmed

President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has formally withdrawn the petition he filed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.

Daily Trust confirmed on Wednesday night that the petition was withdrawn through Dangote’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN.

Sources familiar with the development disclosed that the decision followed the takeover of the matter by another government agency, although details of the new investigation were not made public.

Dangote had, in December, petitioned the ICPC, urging the anti-graft agency to investigate and prosecute Ahmed over allegations of abuse of office, diversion of public funds, and pursuit of personal interests to the detriment of the Nigerian state. The business magnate had insisted that he possessed substantial evidence to support the allegations.

Confirming the withdrawal, the ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, said the commission had received formal notice of the petition’s withdrawal.

However, Odey stressed that the withdrawal would not halt the commission’s actions, noting that the ICPC would continue to investigate the matter in line with its statutory mandate.

According to him, the decision to proceed with investigations is in the interest of transparency, accountability and Nigeria’s broader anti-corruption drive.

Join Very Nigerian WhatsApp Channel
For Verified Breaking News, Exclusive Reports, Trending Stories, And Real-time Updates.
CLICk HERE TO JOIN!