The Chairman of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote, has filed a formal corruption petition against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The development was confirmed on Friday in a statement by the Dangote Group media team. The petition was submitted through Dangote’s legal representative, Lead Counsel Dr O.J. Onoja, and follows the recent withdrawal of a similar petition from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Dangote’s team said the move was a strategic decision aimed at accelerating the prosecution process.
In the petition, Dangote urged the EFCC to investigate allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment against Ahmed and prosecute him if found culpable. The petition also stated that Dangote would provide evidence to substantiate claims of financial misconduct.
“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 read, citing previous rulings in Lawan v. F.R.N (2024) and Shema v. F.R.N. (2018).
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Onoja further called on the EFCC, under the leadership of Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, to investigate the allegations against Ahmed and take appropriate legal action if he is found guilty.
The petition comes after Dangote had earlier approached the ICPC over allegations that Ahmed spent $5 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland. He later withdrew that petition even as the ICPC vowed to continue its investigation.