Aliko Dangote has withdrawn his December 2025 petition accusing ex-NMDPRA boss Farouk Ahmed of corruption and living beyond his means. ICPC confirms probe ongoing despite withdrawal, as another agency reportedly takes over the matter
Aliko Dangote Withdraws ICPC Petition Against Ex-NMDPRA Boss Farouk Ahmed – Probe Continues
Billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote has formally withdrawn the corruption petition he filed against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirmed on Wednesday, January 8, 2026.
Dangote, through his lawyer Chief Ogwu Onoja (SAN), had lodged the explosive petition with the ICPC in December 2025, accusing Farouk of corruption, financial impropriety, and “living beyond his means.” The petition specifically alleged that the former NMDPRA boss spent over $7 million to educate his four children in Switzerland over a six-year period without any verifiable legitimate source of income to justify such expenditure.
Dangote had demanded Farouk’s immediate arrest, thorough investigation, and prosecution.
In a dramatic turn, the ICPC’s spokesperson, Okor Odey, announced that Dangote has now withdrawn the petition in its entirety. According to the withdrawal letter from O.J. Onoja (SAN), another law enforcement agency has taken over the matter.
“The letter from O.J. Onoja, SAN, states that the petitioner has withdrawn the petition dated 16th December 2025, submitted against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past ACE/CEO of the NMDPRA, in its entirety and that another law enforcement agency has taken over,” the ICPC statement read.
Despite the withdrawal, the anti-graft agency made it clear that its investigation will not stop.
“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that in line with the provisions of sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” the commission emphasized.
“The ICPC will therefore continue to investigate this matter in line with its statutory mandate and in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria.”
The development comes shortly after Farouk Ahmed resigned as NMDPRA boss—just 24 hours after the petition was filed—following a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in late December 2025.
The case has continued to generate intense public interest, given the high stakes in Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory sector and the involvement of one of Africa’s wealthiest individuals. The ICPC’s resolve to press ahead with its probe underscores the commission’s determination to pursue corruption allegations irrespective of withdrawals by petitioners. Read More
