Nigeria’s anti-corruption watchdog has acknowledged receiving a formal complaint from billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote, setting the stage for a potential high-profile probe within the petroleum regulatory space.
According to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the petition targets Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and was filed through legal representation.
Confirming the development, the Commission’s spokesperson, John Odey, stated that the submission was officially received earlier on Tuesday and would be processed in accordance with established procedures.
He noted that every petition before the agency is subjected to preliminary scrutiny before further action is taken.
“The Commission has received a petition from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer, and the issues raised will be examined in accordance with the law,” Odey said, adding that due process would guide the next steps.
The petition reportedly raises serious allegations bordering on corruption, abuse of office, and misuse of public resources.
Central to the complaint is a claim that the NMDPRA chief allegedly funded the overseas education of his four children with public money.
Specifically, Dangote is said to have alleged that more than seven million dollars was expended on tuition and related costs at premium schools in Switzerland, with fees allegedly paid in advance for several years.
The businessman argued that such spending could not be justified by any verifiable lawful income and therefore amounted to diversion of state funds.
He urged the Commission to carry out a thorough investigation and pursue prosecution if the allegations are substantiated.
“This matter has attracted widespread public attention, and the truth must be established in the interest of accountability,” Dangote was quoted as saying in the petition.
Moreover, the complaint comes amid an already tense relationship between Dangote’s refinery operations and the petroleum regulator, a dispute that has played out publicly over regulatory decisions affecting Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
AFRIPOST reports that the ICPC’s handling of the petition could have far-reaching implications, not only for the individuals involved but also for regulatory credibility within the country’s energy industry.