Dangote Seeks EFCC Probe of Former Petroleum Regulator Over Alleged Corruption

President of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has escalated allegations of corruption against the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed, by submitting a formal petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The petition, filed at the EFCC headquarters, comes after Dangote withdrew an earlier complaint lodged with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), a move described as a calculated step to hasten investigation and possible prosecution.

In the petition signed by his lead counsel, Dr O.J. Onoja (SAN), Dangote called on the EFCC to probe claims of abuse of office and alleged corrupt enrichment against the former regulator and to pursue prosecution should the allegations be substantiated.

“We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned along with sister agencies to prosecute financial crimes and corruption-related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders. See Lawan v. F.R.N (2024) 12 NWLR (Pt. 1953) 501 and Shema v. F.R.N. (2018) 9 NWLR (Pt.1624)337.”

Onoja further urged the anti-graft agency, under the leadership of its Chairman, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, to urgently examine the allegations and take appropriate legal steps if wrongdoing is established.

The petition also stressed the broader implications of the case, noting: “The commission’s firm resolve in handling this matter with dispatch is not only imperative and expedient but will also serve as a deterrent to other public officers out there with such corrupt proneness and tendencies.”

Dangote had earlier, on December 14, 2025, publicly raised concerns over Ahmed’s financial lifestyle, alleging that it was inconsistent with his known legitimate income while in public service.

Central to the complaint are claims relating to the education of Ahmed’s children abroad.

Dangote alleged that four of the former regulator’s children attended high-end secondary schools in Switzerland, with tuition and associated costs running into several millions of dollars—an expenditure he said raises serious questions about possible conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Mr Ahmed nor the EFCC had issued an official response to the petition.