The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reaffirmed that its investigation into Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), will proceed despite the withdrawal of the corruption petition filed by billionaire industrialist Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The Commission confirmed that it received a formal letter dated January 5, 2026, from Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN & Associates, acting on behalf of Dangote, withdrawing the petition originally submitted on December 16, 2025. The letter stated that the petition was withdrawn in its entirety on the grounds that “another law enforcement agency has taken over the matter.”
However, the ICPC stressed that the withdrawal does not affect its statutory responsibility to investigate allegations of corruption. In a statement, the anti-graft agency cited Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of the ICPC Act, noting that investigations had already commenced and remain ongoing in the interest of the Nigerian state.
“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that investigations in this matter have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” the Commission said, adding that it would continue to act in line with its mandate to promote transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption.
The petition arose from a high-profile dispute in late 2025 between Dangote and Ahmed, whose tenure at the NMDPRA coincided with regulatory tensions involving Dangote’s refinery over importation policies, pricing, and market control. Dangote had accused Ahmed of corrupt enrichment, alleging that more than $5 million was spent on his children’s education at elite schools in Switzerland—expenditures he claimed were inconsistent with the lawful earnings of a public officer.
The allegations triggered a major public controversy and culminated in Ahmed’s resignation in December 2025, alongside the former head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). President Bola Tinubu subsequently nominated a new leadership for the NMDPRA.
Dangote’s initial petition to the ICPC called for Ahmed’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution over alleged abuse of office, corruption, and living beyond his means.
