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The leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has pushed back against claims circulating online, as its chief executive, Farouk Ahmed, distanced himself from a statement allegedly issued in response to corruption allegations linked to him.
Ahmed clarified that he neither authored nor approved the viral response attributed to him on social media, describing it as unauthorised and misleading.
According to him, the document does not reflect his position on the accusations recently raised by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Moreover, the regulator stressed that he had deliberately avoided public exchanges despite the growing attention around the matter.
Ahmed explained that engaging in media back-and-forth could undermine the integrity of the regulatory office he leads.
“My attention was drawn to a response credited to me over recent allegations. I want to state clearly that the statement did not come from me and was not issued with my consent,” Ahmed said.
The controversy follows remarks made by Dangote during a briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, where the billionaire businessman questioned the source of funds allegedly used by Ahmed for his children’s overseas education.
Dangote subsequently called for a thorough investigation and urged the regulator to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
In addition, Dangote formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that certain regulatory decisions, including the issuance of fuel import licences, could damage investor confidence and amount to economic sabotage.
However, Ahmed welcomed the decision to submit the allegations to a statutory anti-graft body, noting that an institutional probe was the appropriate channel for resolving such issues.
He expressed confidence that the process would allow for an objective review of the claims.
“Since the allegations have now been referred to a recognised investigative agency, I believe that platform will objectively examine the facts and give me the opportunity to clear my name,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials within the NMDPRA also confirmed that the circulating statement was fake, reinforcing the agency’s position that Ahmed has not made any public rebuttal beyond the clarification denying authorship.
Hence, attention now shifts to the ICPC, as observers await the outcome of any investigation into the high-profile claims involving the petroleum regulator and Africa’s richest man.