The Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has filed a formal petition before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, alleging abuse of office and corrupt enrichment.
The petition, submitted through Dangote’s legal representative and Lead Counsel, Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN, followed the withdrawal of an earlier complaint filed before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The shift to the EFCC, according to the petition, was a strategic decision aimed at expediting investigation and possible prosecution.
In the petition, Dangote urged the EFCC to investigate the allegations against Ahmed and prosecute him if found culpable. It stated that the commission is strategically positioned, alongside sister agencies, to effectively prosecute financial crimes and corruption-related offences, citing recent judicial precedents to underscore the courts’ willingness to punish offenders once a prima facie case is established.
Onoja further appealed to the EFCC leadership to act with dispatch, stressing that firm handling of the matter would serve as a deterrent to other public officers with corrupt tendencies.
The petition recalled that on December 14, 2025, Dangote publicly raised concerns over Ahmed’s alleged financial dealings, claiming that the former regulator was living far beyond his legitimate means. Dangote alleged that four of Ahmed’s children attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland, with tuition, travel and upkeep costs running into millions of dollars.
According to the petition, the children attended Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey and La Garenne International School, spending about six years in the institutions. Dangote estimated the annual cost per child at about $200,000, amounting to roughly $5 million for secondary education alone.
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The petition further alleged that an additional $2 million was spent on the children’s tertiary education, including about $210,000 for one of them to undertake an MBA programme at Harvard University in 2025.
“Nigerians deserve to know the source of these funds, especially when many parents in Mr. Ahmed’s home state of Sokoto struggle to pay as little as ₦10,000 in school fees,” the petition quoted Dangote as saying.
Dangote said the allegations raise serious questions about conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, calling for a comprehensive investigation to restore public confidence in regulatory institutions.
