The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) announced on Wednesday that it will proceed with its investigation into Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), despite a formal request from billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote to withdraw the petition.
The anti-graft agency stated that the investigation, which centres on allegations of "monumental corruption" and financial impropriety, is now a matter of national interest that transcends the wishes of the original complainant.
In a statement released on January 7, 2026, the ICPC confirmed receipt of a letter dated January 5 from Dangote’s legal counsel, Dr O.J. Onoja, SAN. The letter sought to withdraw the petition filed on December 16, 2025, in its entirety, citing that another law enforcement agency—the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)—had taken over the matter.
However, the ICPC Spokesperson and Head of Media, Mr Okor Odey, clarified that the commission would not be standing down. He noted that the agency had already activated formal procedures, including reaching out to educational institutions in Switzerland to verify the core claims of the petition.
"The ICPC wishes to state categorically that in line with the provisions of Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing," the commission declared in its official statement.
The original petition alleged that Mr Ahmed spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, including upfront payments for six years of tuition. Mr Dangote’s filing argued that such expenditures were "inconsistent with the earnings of a career public servant" and suggested the diversion of public funds during Mr Ahmed’s tenure at the helm of Nigeria's midstream and downstream oil regulator.
The controversy comes on the heels of a public and high-stakes dispute between the NMDPRA and the Dangote Refinery. In mid-2024, Mr Ahmed had publicly questioned the quality of fuel produced by local refineries, a move Dangote characterised as an attempt to protect fuel import cartels. Following these accusations and the subsequent filing of the petition, President Bola Tinubu replaced Mr Ahmed as the head of the NMDPRA on December 17, 2025.
Sources within the ICPC indicated that the commission had previously invited Mr Dangote to personally adopt his petition, explaining that criminal law does not allow for "representation by proxy" in such matters. While Mr Dangote has since opted to defer to the EFCC to avoid duplication of efforts, the ICPC maintains that its statutory mandate compels it to see the probe to its logical conclusion.
Mr Ahmed has previously dismissed the allegations as "wild and spurious", maintaining that he would not engage in a public media trial while investigative agencies were looking into the matter.
The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to the case, stating that its actions are guided by the "interest of transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria."
