The Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Group, has filed a petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, accusing NMDPRA Managing Director Ahmed Farouk of corruption.
In a petition dated December 16 and filed by his counsel, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, Aliko Dangote urged the ICPC to arrest, investigate and prosecute NMDPRA Managing Director Ahmed Farouk for allegedly living beyond his lawful income as a public official.
The petition, which was received by the office of the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, SAN, accused Farouk of spending more than seven million dollars on the education of his four children in Switzerland, allegedly paid upfront for a six-month period, without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.
“That Engr Farouk Ahmed has grossly abused his office contrary to the extant provisions of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and, in doing enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of Public funds running into millions of dollars.
“That Engr Farouk Ahmed spent without evidence of lawful means of income humongous amount of money of over 7million dollars of Public funds, for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront,” the petition read.
Dangote, in the petition, named the four children and the Swiss schools they attend, the amount paid for each of them, to enable the ICPC to verify the claims.
He further alleged that Farouk used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions which he claimed had fuelled public outrage and recent protests by various groups.
The oil magnate argued that Farouk has spent his entire adult career in Nigeria’s public sector and, based on his lawful earnings, could not have amassed the roughly seven‑million‑dollar sum reportedly used to fund his children’s overseas education.
Dangote said the petition cites abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement, which he described as “gross acts of corrupt practices” that fall within the ICPC’s mandate under Section 19 of the ICPC Act. He noted that a conviction under the same provision carries a five‑year prison term without the option of a fine.
The businessman alleged that Engr. Farouk Ahmed has enriched himself with public funds meant for public use and diverted them for private purposes. He quoted the law: any public officer who uses his position to confer corrupt or unfair advantage on himself, a relation, associate or another public officer is guilty of an offence punishable by five years’ imprisonment without a fine.
Dangote expressed confidence that the ICPC, together with other anti‑corruption agencies, can prosecute financial crimes and secure punishment once a prima facie case is established. He urged the Commission to investigate the allegations and prosecute Farouk if culpability is found, noting that the matter is already public.
He added that decisive action by the ICPC would uphold justice and protect the image of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and pledged to provide evidence supporting his claims of corrupt enrichment, abuse of office and impunity.
During a Lagos press briefing on Sunday, Dangote raised concerns about regulatory failures and alleged corruption in the downstream petroleum sector, warning that unaddressed allegations could erode public trust and investor confidence. He recalled that in June 2025, protesters in Abuja had demanded Farouk’s resignation, accusing him of treating his office as a personal estate.
The NMDPRA dismissed the accusations as a coordinated smear campaign rooted in false claims against its chief executive and leadership.
