BREAKING: Dangote petitions ICPC over alleged $7m education spending by NMDPRA boss

Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), seeking the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, over allegations of corruption and abuse of office.

In the petition dated December 16 and submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, Dangote accused the NMDPRA chief of living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant, contrary to the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

According to the petition, Farouk allegedly spent more than seven million dollars on the education of his four children in Switzerland, purportedly paid upfront for a six-year period, without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.

Dangote alleged that the funds used were public monies diverted through the instrumentality of the NMDPRA for personal benefit, describing the spending as “monumental corruption and unlawful use of public funds.”

The petition further accused the NMDPRA boss of gross abuse of office, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement, offences which Dangote said fall squarely within the statutory powers of the ICPC to investigate and prosecute under Section 19 of the ICPC Act.

To aid investigation, Dangote reportedly provided details of the children involved, the Swiss schools they attend and the specific amounts allegedly paid on their behalf.

The business mogul argued that Farouk, having spent his entire working life in the Nigerian public sector, could not have lawfully accumulated funds close to the alleged sum based on his official earnings.

He maintained that successful prosecution under the relevant law attracts a prison sentence of five years without an option of fine, stressing that decisive action by the ICPC would help uphold accountability, protect public funds and preserve confidence in the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Dangote also expressed readiness to provide documentary evidence to substantiate his claims, noting that the allegations were already in the public domain.

The petition followed comments Dangote made during a recent press briefing in Lagos, where he raised concerns about regulatory failures and alleged corruption in the downstream petroleum sector, warning that unresolved allegations could erode investor confidence.

Similar allegations were previously raised against Farouk in June 2025 by protesters in Abuja, who demanded his resignation and accused him of turning his office into a personal estate.

However, the NMDPRA has consistently denied all allegations against its Managing Director, describing them as false, malicious and part of a coordinated smear campaign against the agency and its leadership.

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