ABUJA — Nigeria’s anti-graft agency announced Wednesday it will proceed with its investigation into Farouk Ahmed, the dismissed chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), despite a formal request from billionaire Aliko Dangote to withdraw his petition.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirmed it received a letter dated Jan. 5 from Dangote’s legal counsel, O.J. Onoja, SAN, seeking to retract the allegations against Ahmed. The original petition, filed in December, accused the former oil regulator of misappropriating $5 million in public funds to cover his children’s school fees.
In a statement released Wednesday, the ICPC acknowledged the withdrawal but maintained that the gravity of the allegations necessitates a full inquiry under federal law.
“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that in line with the provisions of sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” the commission said.
The legal team for Dangote reportedly informed the commission that the petition was being withdrawn “in its entirety” and noted that “another law enforcement agency has taken over” the matter. However, the ICPC clarified that its statutory mandate compels it to see the investigation through to its conclusion regardless of the petitioner’s stance.
“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 statement read.
The controversy stems from an invitation extended to Dangote in late December to appear before a panel of investigators to formally adopt his petition. Ahmed was sacked from his position at the NMDPRA following a series of public disputes regarding fuel quality and regulatory oversight in the Nigerian energy sector.
