Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption and abuse of office against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.

The petition, submitted through Dangote’s legal team, was filed at the EFCC headquarters and was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by the Dangote Group media team.

The development comes days after Dangote withdrew a similar petition earlier submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in which Ahmed was accused of spending about $5 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland. Despite the withdrawal, the ICPC had stated that it would continue its investigation into the matter.

According to the statement, the decision to approach the EFCC followed the withdrawal of the petition from the ICPC, described as “a strategic decision aimed at accelerating the prosecution process.”

In the petition signed by Lead Counsel, Dr O. J. Onoja, Dangote urged the EFCC to investigate allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment levelled against Ahmed and to prosecute him if found culpable.

The petition further assured the commission of Dangote’s readiness to provide documentary and other evidence to substantiate the allegations of financial misconduct and impunity.

“We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned, along with sister agencies, to prosecute financial crimes and corruption-related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders,” the petition stated, citing Lawan v. F.R.N (2024) 12 NWLR (Pt. 1953) 501 and Shema v. F.R.N (2018) 9 NWLR (Pt. 1624) 337.

Onoja further called on the EFCC, under the leadership of its Chairman, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, to thoroughly investigate the allegations against Ahmed and take appropriate legal action in line with the law.