The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, has dismissed corruption allegations levelled against him and his family by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, describing them as “wild and spurious.”
In a disclaimer signed by him and obtained by The Telegraph, Farouk said he would refrain from engaging in public exchanges and would instead defend himself before a formal investigative body.
“My attention has been drawn to a purported response I was said to have made on the recent allegations against my person,” the statement said.
“I hereby state categorically that the so-called statement did not emanate from me.
“While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family and the frenzy they have generated, as a regulator in a sensitive industry, I have opted not to engage in public brickbats.
“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken the matter to a formal investigative institution. I believe this will provide an opportunity to dispassionately distil the issues and clear my name.”
Dangote, Africa’s richest man, on Sunday accused Farouk of economic sabotage, alleging that his actions were undermining domestic refining in Nigeria.
Roots of the dispute
The feud dates back to July 2024, when Farouk said local refineries including the Dangote Refinery produced inferior petroleum products compared to imports. Dangote denied the claim, publicly testing diesel produced by his refinery during an oversight visit by federal lawmakers.
More than a year later, Dangote petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Farouk of corruption and living beyond his legitimate means.
In the petition, Dangote alleged that four of Farouk’s children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at a cost running into several million dollars, raising concerns about possible conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.
At a press conference at the Dangote Refinery in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, Dangote said the alleged expenditure was troubling.
“I’ve had people complaining about a regulator who put his children in secondary school, and that secondary school education, six years for four children cost Nigeria five million dollars,” he said.
“My children went to secondary school in Nigeria. They did not go abroad.”
On Tuesday, Dangote published details of the allegations in a national newspaper and formally submitted his petition to the NMDPRA boss.
He said Nigerians deserved to know the source of funds allegedly used by a public officer while many parents in Farouk’s home state of Sokoto struggle to pay modest school fees.
Dangote also accused the regulatory agency of frustrating efforts to boost local refining, particularly through the continued issuance of petroleum import licences.
Petition to ICPC
In the petition dated December 16 and submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), Dangote asked the ICPC to arrest, investigate and prosecute Farouk for allegedly living above his means.
According to the petition addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), Dangote alleged that Farouk spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland over a six-year period, without evidence of lawful income.
Dangote listed the names of the children, their schools, and the amounts allegedly paid, urging the anti-graft agency to verify the claims.
He further accused Farouk of using the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain, actions he claimed had sparked protests by various groups.
Dangote argued that Farouk’s lifetime earnings as a public servant could not reasonably account for the alleged expenditure.
“It is without doubt that the above facts amount to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement,” the petition stated, noting that such offences are punishable under Section 19 of the ICPC Act.
Dangote said he was prepared to provide evidence to substantiate his allegations.
Reps intervene
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has stepped into the dispute, summoning both Dangote and Farouk and directing them to refrain from further public comments.
The Joint Committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) said the intervention was aimed at preventing instability in the downstream petroleum sector.
“We can only find sustainable solutions when we identify the critical issues driving this tension,” said a member of the committee leadership, Ikenga Ugochinyere.
ICPC confirms receipt
The ICPC has confirmed receipt of Dangote’s petition and said it would investigate the allegations.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission confirms that it received a formal petition on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer,” the commission’s spokesman, John Odey, said in a statement.
“The petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed, and it will be duly investigated.”
