About 500 public interest lawyers yesterday stormed the Presidential Villa and National Assembly with a petition demanding the immediate probe, sacking and prosecution of Ahmed Farouk, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA).
The lawyers and members of some civil society organisations (CSOs) have been protesting for days, demanding immediate investigation of corruption allegations against Ahmed. They are equally demanding his sack and prosecution over the alleged offences, which include abuse of office and conflict of interest.
The lawyers cited grave allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and conflict of interest against Farouk, including the alleged diversion of over $5million of public funds to finance his children’s education in elite institutions in Switzerland and India.
They also petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN), demanding the immediate sack, investigation, and probe of Ahmed.
Titled: ‘petition for the immediate sack, investigation, and prosecution of Farouk Ahmed, being Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)’, it was signed by Samuel Ihensekhien, Esq Jnr, Desmond Tabakwot, Esq, Dr. SM Oyeghe Esq, Bennett Joseph Ebikon, Esq and Chubuike Igwenyi, Esq. on behalf of the League of Public Interest lawyers in Nigeria.
Led by Ihensekhien, they also accused Farouk of employing his son, Faisal Ahmed, in Oando Plc, a private entity directly under NMDPRA’s regulatory oversight, constituting a clear conflict of interest. The petitioners further alleged that Farouk has fled the country to evade arrest and is hiding on a private island in the United States, an act they described as “cowardly” and indicative of guilt.
“This flagrant misuse of public resources, at a time when millions of Nigerians suffer from deteriorating public education infrastructure, is both morally reprehensible and criminally indictable.
“The actions of Ahmed represent a clear abuse of office, a betrayal of the Nigerian people’s trust, and a severe breach of the fiduciary duty required of all public servants. Recent credible reports suggest that Ahmed has fled the country in an attempt to evade arrest and is allegedly hiding on a private island in the United States”, the petition stated.
They demanded that the National Assembly commence an immediate investigation, recommend Farouk’s immediate sacking and suspension, and collaborate with international security agencies like Interpol to ensure his extradition back to Nigeria.
The lawyers also called for the freezing of Farouk’s local and offshore assets and sweeping reforms in the appointment and oversight of regulatory agency heads in the oil and gas sector.
The petition is backed by CSOs, including the Situation Room for Oil Sector Reforms, the Concerned Young Professionals Network, and the Coalition for Public Accountability (COPA), who have held protests calling for Farouk’s suspension and prosecution.
The petitioners emphasised that Farouk’s actions represent a clear abuse of office, a betrayal of the Nigerian people’s trust, and a severe breach of fiduciary duty, and that his continued occupancy of the position threatens transparency, accountability, and reforms in the petroleum sector.
