Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption involving the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr Ahmed Farouk.

In the petition dated December 16 and submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, Dangote urged the anti-corruption agency to arrest, investigate and prosecute the NMDPRA chief over allegations of abuse of office, corrupt enrichment and diversion of public funds.

The petition, received by the office of the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, SAN, accused Farouk of living far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public servant, alleging that he spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.

According to the petition, the funds were allegedly paid upfront to various Swiss schools for a six-year period.

“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 so, enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into millions of dollars,” the petition stated.

It further alleged that Farouk “spent, without evidence of lawful means of income, a humongous sum of over seven million dollars of public funds for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland.”

Dangote reportedly provided the names of the children, the schools they attend and the amounts allegedly paid for each, urging the ICPC to verify the claims.

The business mogul also accused the NMDPRA boss of using the authority as an instrument to embezzle and divert public funds for personal benefit and private interests, actions he said had sparked public outrage and protests.

According to Dangote, Farouk has spent his entire working life in Nigeria’s public service and could not, based on his legitimate earnings, have accumulated funds close to the amount allegedly expended on foreign education.

“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,” Dangote said, noting that such offences fall within the powers of the ICPC to investigate and prosecute under Section 19 of the ICPC Act.

He added that conviction under the provision attracts a five-year prison term without an option of fine.

Dangote further expressed confidence in the capacity of the ICPC, working with other anti-graft agencies, to ensure accountability and urged the Commission to act decisively to uphold justice and protect the image of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He also pledged to provide documentary evidence to substantiate his allegations, stressing that the matter was already in the public domain.

The petition followed allegations Dangote made during a press briefing in Lagos on Sunday, where he criticised regulatory failures and alleged corruption in the downstream petroleum sector, warning that unresolved allegations would continue to erode public trust and investor confidence.

In June 2025, similar allegations were raised against Farouk by a group of protesters in Abuja, who marched to the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the ICPC, demanding his resignation over claims that he had turned the agency into a “personal estate.”

The NMDPRA had, however, denied the allegations, describing them as an orchestrated smear campaign based on false claims against its Chief Executive Officer and leadership.