Tag: Dangote

Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has denied issuing a statement circulating under his name in response to allegations made by Aliko Dangote, president and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited. In a disclaimer released on Wednesday, Ahmed said the statement did not originate from him. He acknowledged being aware of the allegations and the public reaction but emphasized that he had chosen not to respond publicly. “My attention has been drawn to a purported response I was said to have made on the recent allegations against my person. I hereby state categorically that the so-called statement did not emanate from me,” he said. Ahmed described the claims against him and his family as “wild and spurious” but said he would not engage in public disputes. “Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution. I believe that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and to clear my name,” he added. Dangote had accused Ahmed of economic sabotage and alleged that NMDPRA leadership was frustrating domestic refining by issuing import licences for petroleum products.

Africa’s richest man and Dangote Group chairman, Dr. Aliko Dangote, has formally asked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, over allegations of corruption and abuse of office. The petition, filed on Tuesday through Dangote’s lawyers led by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, calls for Ahmed’s arrest and prosecution, accusing him of maintaining a lifestyle allegedly incompatible with his earnings as a career public servant. Central to the petition is an allegation that Ahmed paid more than $7 million in tuition fees for four of his children enrolled in schools in Switzerland, with payments said to cover six years of education upfront. Dangote reportedly submitted the names of the children and the institutions involved to support the request for an investigation. Dangote argued that such expenditures could not reasonably be explained by Ahmed’s official income, noting that the NMDPRA boss has spent his entire working life in the public sector. He further alleged that public funds were diverted through the regulatory authority to finance these expenses, amounting to a misuse of resources meant for the Nigerian people. “It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment, and embezzlement are gross acts of corrupt practices for which your Commission (ICPC) is statutorily empowered under section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote stated in the petition. He also pointed out that the law provides severe penalties for such offences, adding that conviction attracts a five-year prison sentence without the option of a fine. Urging the ICPC to act swiftly, Dangote stressed the commission’s responsibility to confront corruption decisively and preserve confidence in public institutions. “We make bold to state that the ICPC is strategically positioned, along with sister agencies, to prosecute financial crimes and other corruption-related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders,” the petition read. Dangote also indicated his willingness to personally appear before the commission to back up his claims with evidence if required, while emphasising that accountability in public office is essential to the credibility of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Meanwhile, the allegations have drawn sharp opposition from a group of legal practitioners. A coalition of 40 lawyers under the banner of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Anti-Corruption rejected the claims, describing them as frivolous and without merit. At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the lawyers warned against what they described as a trial by media, arguing that portraying Ahmed as corrupt without due process undermines democratic values, the rule of law, and investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The group’s position was presented in a statement jointly addressed and signed by its National Coordinator, Barrister Emeka Okafor, and Secretary, Barrister Mohammed Bello, on behalf of the 40 lawyers.

Business mogul Aliko Dangote has alleged that Engr. Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), spent millions of dollars on the foreign education of his four children. According to Dangote, the children reportedly attended prestigious secondary schools in Switzerland for about six years each, including Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, and La Garenne International School. Dangote claimed that the total cost of their secondary education—including tuition, living expenses, travel, and related costs—exceeded $5 million. He further alleged that an additional $2 million was spent on their university education over a four-year period. For 2025, Dangote cited that approximately $210,000 was spent on one child’s Master of Business Administration programme at Harvard University, with $150,000 covering tuition and $60,000 for accommodation, travel, and other incidental expenses. These claims have not been independently verified, and Engr. Farouk Ahmed has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.