ICPC Invites Dangote Over $7m School Fees Claim Against ex-NMDPRA Boss 

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has invited businessman, Aliko Dangote for more information in respect   of his petition against   the immediate past managing director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.

Dangote is expected to appear or send his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN) tomorrow when ICPC’s investigation of the petition formally commences.

The commission raised a panel of crack  investigators on Friday to handle the probe,The Nation learnt yesterday.

The ICPC ,according to sources ,has asked  Dangote to submit his evidence to the anti-graft agency.

Dangote had accused Farouk of corruption and misappropriation of funds, including spending millions of dollars on his four children’s education in expensive and exclusive schools in Switzerland.

The businessman accused  Farouk of economic sabotage by undermining domestic refining by colluding  with international traders and oil importers through the continued issuance of import licences.

Farouk has since resigned his appointment.

But the commission said it is going ahead with the investigation, Farouk’s  resignation notwithstanding.

“All is set for the investigation, ” a well- placed source in ICPC told The Nation yesterday.

“ICPC has set up a panel of crack investigators on Dangote’s petition. The Chairman of the commission, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) asked the trusted team to stay action  on a case and focus  on Dangote’s petition. This underscores the importance attached to this case,” the source said.

“We have also invited Dangote or his lawyer to come on Monday to adopt the petition. “Either of them is to present relevant documents or evidence to support the petition.

“He who alleges must prove or provide lead on the allegations which our investigators must act on.

“We have acknowledged the receipt of the petition in line with our guidelines or mandate to do so within 48 hours.”

Continuing, the source said :”after formal adoption of the petition, we will isolate issues and ask Ahmed to respond to the allegations.

“We have been inundated with enquiries but I can assure you that ICPC will be fair to all the parties.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The resignation of Ahmed does not affect this probe which is in the public interest.”

“Section 19 of the  Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act (ICPC Act 2000) makes it an offence for any public officer to use his/her position to confer an unfair or corrupt advantage on himself, his relatives, associates, or other public officers.Anyone found guilty of any such offence is liable to five  years imprisonment without the option of a fine.

“The enabling law also  stipulates harsh punishment for individuals deemed to have wasted ICPC’s  time and resources by making malicious or frivolous petitions against others.”

In the petition submitted on Tuesday through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja SAN), Dangote demanded  the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Farouk for allegedly living above his means as a public servant.

He  accused Farouk of “spending without evidence of lawful means of income amounting to over $7 million for the education of his four children” in Switzerland.

The document named the children and their schools and provided specific amounts paid for verification.

 “Engr Farouk Ahmed spent without evidence of lawful means of income humongous amount of money of over $7million of public funds, for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront,” Dangote alleged.

“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement constitute gross acts of corrupt practices, for which ICPC is statutorily empowered under section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote added.

The cold war between Dangote and  petroleum regulators had earlier sparked   a N100billion suit.

 The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE filed a N100 billion lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging import licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and others, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The refinery accused the regulator of  granting licences to import refined petroleum products despite domestic production capacity.

It alleged that the action of the regulator has violated some sections of the Petroleum Industry Act.

The suit,  FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, was  discontinued in July 2025 by Dangote’s lawyers.

ICPC petition guidelines say: “Any person anywhere in the world may make a complaint against any other person (corporate or non- corporate) in Nigeria, where reasonable grounds exist for suspecting that such a person has conspired to commit or attempted to commit or has committed an offence under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

●Complaint/petition is made through oral/written report submitted through post, physically to any ICPC office in Nigeria.

●A complaint made orally or by an illiterate shall be reduced into writing and read over to the complainant by an officer of the Commission.

● The report shall set out details of the complaint , date, time and place where the offence was allegedly committed.

●The complainant shall provide the names and addresses, phone number, email and other relevant information that may assist the Commission in locating the person or persons against whom the complaint is made.

 ●The complainant shall state his/her full address, email or phone number or any other information that will assist the commission in contacting him/her, whenever necessary.

●Reports can also be made online through any of the commission’s  reporting platforms

●The commission shall acknowledge receipt of any petition within 48 hours. 

Spokesperson of ICPC , John Okor Odey confirmed that the commission “received a formal petition on Tuesday, 16th December, 2025 from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer. The petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed. The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated.”