Chairman of ÆŠangote Group, Aliko ÆŠangote, has formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption, financial impropriety, and abuse of office by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk.
The petition, dated December 16, was submitted through ÆŠangote’s lawyer, Ogwu James Onoja (SAN), and acknowledged by the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN). ÆŠangote urged the anti-graft agency to immediately arrest, investigate, and prosecute the NMDPRA boss.
Central to the petition is the allegation that Farouk has been living far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public servant. Ɗangote claimed that the NMDPRA chief paid more than $7 million upfront to cover six years’ tuition for his four children at elite secondary schools in Switzerland—an amount he argued is inconsistent with Farouk’s cumulative income in public service.
According to the petition, the children and their respective schools were clearly named to enable verification by the ICPC. Dangote alleged that the funds used for the foreign education were diverted from public resources through Farouk’s position at the NMDPRA, constituting corrupt enrichment and abuse of office. He further claimed that the alleged misconduct has fueled public discontent, protests, and eroded confidence in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum regulatory framework.
Ɗangote also pledged to personally appear before the ICPC to provide documentary and other evidence in support of his allegations, stressing that prompt action by the Commission would reinforce accountability and protect the credibility of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The formal petition follows ÆŠangote’s public accusations during a press briefing at the ÆŠangote Refinery in Lagos on December 14, where he alleged that Farouk spent between $5 million and $7 million on his children’s education abroad. Similar allegations earlier in 2025 had sparked protests and calls for investigation by civil society groups, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP).
As of the time of filing this report, neither the ICPC nor the NMDPRA has issued an official response to the petition.
Farouk has previously dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically-motivated smear campaigns.
