Abuja, Nigeria
Nigerian business mogul Aliko Dangote has filed a formal petition with the country’s anti-graft agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), demanding the arrest and prosecution of the head of the nation’s key oil regulator, Ahmed Farouk. Dangote, the Chairman of the Dangote Group, accused the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of egregious corruption and living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant.
The petition, submitted via Dangote’s lawyer, alleges that Mr. Farouk spent over $7 million in public funds to finance the education of his four children in Swiss schools, claiming the amount was paid six years upfront without any lawful source of income to justify the expenditure. Dangote claims this constitutes a gross abuse of office and corrupt enrichment, stating that the regulator “could not, based on his legitimate earnings over the years, have accumulated funds close to the alleged seven million dollars.”
The move escalates a public feud, as Dangote has recently accused the NMDPRA of issuing “reckless” import licences that undermine local refinery investment. The NMDPRA has previously denied all allegations of corruption against its CEO, labelling them a smear campaign.
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