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The Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, alleging corruption and financial impropriety.
Dangote submitted the petition on December 16 through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), calling for Farouk’s arrest, investigation and prosecution over claims that he lives far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public officer.
The petition, addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), accused the NMDPRA chief of spending more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland over six years, without evidence of lawful income to justify such expenditure.
Dangote detailed the names of the children, their schools in Switzerland, and the fees allegedly paid, urging the anti-graft agency to verify the claims.
He further alleged that Farouk abused his office by using the NMDPRA as a tool to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions he said had triggered recent public protests and unrest.
According to Dangote, Farouk has spent his entire adult life in public service, arguing that his cumulative earnings could not reasonably amount to the funds allegedly used to educate his children abroad.
He claimed the money was diverted from public coffers.
Calling on the ICPC to act, Dangote said the allegations amount to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement, offences the commission is empowered to investigate and prosecute under Section 19 of the ICPC Act.
He noted that conviction under the law carries a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine, urging the commission to act decisively in the public interest and to protect the image of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Dangote also pledged to present evidence to support his claims of corruption and abuse of office against Farouk.
The businessman first raised the allegations during a media interaction on Sunday, questioning the source of the NMDPRA chief’s wealth.
He contrasted the alleged foreign school fees with the struggles of ordinary Nigerians, particularly in Farouk’s home state of Sokoto.
He later published details of the claims in a national newspaper before formally submitting the petition.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has stepped into the dispute, summoning both Dangote and Farouk.
The Joint Committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) also asked both parties to refrain from further public statements, citing concerns over stability in the downstream petroleum sector.
Despite the allegations, Ahmed Farouk and the NMDPRA have yet to respond publicly as of the time of this report.
