Dangote Files Corruption Petition with EFCC Against Farouk Ahmed

LAGOS – Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of office against Engr. Farouk Ahmed, the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The petition, filed by Dangote’s lead counsel, Dr. O.J. Onoja S.A.N., was submitted to the EFCC headquarters. This action follows the withdrawal of an identical petition from the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), a move Dangote’s legal team described as strategic to expedite the legal process.

In the document, Dangote urges the EFCC, under Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede, to “investigate the complaint of Abuse of Office and Corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting.” The petition cites the commission’s mandate and legal precedent, asserting that a swift resolution would “serve as a deterrent to other public officers.”

The allegations center on Mr. Ahmed’s financial conduct while in office. Dangote claims that Ahmed’s lifestyle and expenditures far exceeded his legitimate income as a public servant. Specifically, the petition details that Ahmed’s four children attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland, including Institut Le Rosey and Aiglon College, with estimated costs of $200,000 per child annually. Dangote asserts the total secondary education expense for the four children amounted to approximately $5 million.

The petition further alleges an additional $2 million was spent on the children’s tertiary education, including a $210,000 MBA program at Harvard University for one child in 2025.

“Nigerians deserve to know the source of these funds,” Dangote is quoted in the petition, “especially when many parents in Mr. Ahmed’s home state of Sokoto struggle to pay as little as ₦10,000 in school fees.”

The EFCC has acknowledged receipt of the petition but has not yet commented on whether it will open a formal investigation. Efforts to reach Engr. Farouk Ahmed for comment were unsuccessful.

The filing underscores escalating tensions between Nigeria’s largest industrial conglomerate and the regulatory body that oversaw the petroleum sector during the prior administration.