The 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 development was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by the Dangote Group media team. According to the statement, the petition was submitted through Dangote’s legal representative at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
This latest move follows Dangote’s earlier petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in which Ahmed was accused of spending an estimated $5 million on the secondary education of his children in Switzerland. Although Dangote withdrew that petition a few days later, the ICPC publicly stated that it would continue its investigation into the allegations.
Explaining the reason for the new petition, the Dangote Group said the decision to approach the EFCC was a strategic one. The statement noted that the withdrawal of the complaint from the ICPC was “aimed at accelerating the prosecution process”, suggesting that the EFCC was better positioned to handle the matter expeditiously.
In the petition to the EFCC, which was signed by Lead Counsel Dr O.J. Onoja, Dangote urged the commission to thoroughly investigate allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment levelled against Ahmed. The petition further requested that Ahmed be prosecuted if the allegations are substantiated.
Dangote also pledged full cooperation with investigators, stating that he would provide documentary and other evidence to support the claims 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 read, citing recent judicial authorities to support its position.
Dr Onoja additionally called on the EFCC, under the leadership of its Chairman, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, to act decisively on the matter. He urged the commission “to investigate the complaint of abuse of office and corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting”.
The petition adds to growing public scrutiny over accountability in Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory sector and places renewed pressure on anti-corruption agencies to demonstrate transparency and resolve in handling high-profile cases.
