NMDPRA Chief Disowns ‘Response’ to Dangote Allegations, Welcomes ICPC Probe

The chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, has disowned a statement circulating online in which he was said to have responded to allegations made against him by Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited.

In a disclaimer sent on Wednesday, Mr Ahmed said the statement did not originate from him. He acknowledged awareness of what he described as wild and spurious allegations against him and his family but said he deliberately chose not to engage in public exchanges because of the sensitive nature of his position as a regulator.

Mr Ahmed said he was relieved that the allegations had been taken to a formal investigative institution, noting that the process would allow the issues to be examined objectively and would help clear his name. He stated that his attention had been drawn to a purported response attributed to him but stressed that he never issued such a statement.

The development follows allegations made on Sunday by Mr Dangote, who accused Mr Ahmed of economic sabotage and actions allegedly undermining domestic refining in Nigeria. Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Mr Dangote alleged that the leadership of the NMDPRA was colluding with international traders and petroleum importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences.

Mr Dangote also accused Mr Ahmed of living beyond his legitimate means, claiming that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs amounting to several million dollars. He argued that the alleged expenses raised concerns about conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.

The following day, Mr Dangote expanded his claims, accusing Mr Ahmed of corruption and misappropriation of public funds. He alleged that about $5 million was spent on secondary education and upkeep for the children over six years, with an additional $2 million spent on tertiary education, including $210,000 for a Harvard MBA programme in 2025.

On Tuesday, Mr Dangote, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, calling for Mr Ahmed’s arrest, investigation and prosecution for allegedly living above his means as a public officer. The petition claimed that more than $7 million was spent on the education of Mr Ahmed’s four children in Switzerland without evidence of lawful income and included details of the schools attended and amounts allegedly paid.

Mr Dangote urged the anti-graft agency to act decisively, citing provisions of the ICPC Act that empower the commission to investigate and prosecute corrupt practices, and said he was prepared to provide evidence to support his claims.