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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has vowed to continue its investigation of the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.
This is despite the withdrawal of the original petition by billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote.
The commission confirmed that it received a formal letter dated January 5, 2026, from Dr O.J. Onoja, SAN & Associates, acting on behalf of Dangote, withdrawing the petition earlier filed on December 16, 2025.
The withdrawal letter stated that the petition against Ahmed was withdrawn in its entirety, noting that another law enforcement agency had taken over the matter.
However, the ICPC stressed that the withdrawal would not halt its investigation.
In a statement, the commission said: “The letter from O.J. Onoja, SAN, states that the petitioner has withdrawn the petition dated 16th December, 2025, submitted against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past ACE/CEO of the NMDPRA, in its entirety and that another law enforcement agency has taken over.
“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that in line with the provisions of Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing.
“The ICPC will therefore continue to investigate this matter in line with its statutory mandate and in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria.”
The petition arose from a high-profile dispute in late 2025 between Dangote and Ahmed, during the latter’s tenure at the NMDPRA.
The dispute followed repeated clashes between Dangote’s refinery and petroleum regulators over importation policies, pricing and market dominance.
Dangote accused Ahmed of corrupt enrichment, alleging that the former regulator spent more than $5 million on his children’s school fees at exclusive Swiss institutions, expenditures he claimed were inconsistent with a public servant’s legitimate income.
The allegations escalated into a major public scandal and were followed by Ahmed’s resignation in December 2025, alongside the head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Subsequently, Bola Ahmed Tinubu nominated a replacement for the leadership of the NMDPRA.
Dangote’s initial petition to the ICPC had called for Ahmed’s arrest, investigation and prosecution for alleged abuse of office, corruption and living beyond his means.
