Dangote withdraws corruption petition against Farouk Ahmed, ICPC says probe will continue

Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, has withdrawn his petition against Ahmed Farouk, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Dangote submitted the petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in December 2025 through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, accusing Farouk of corruption and financial impropriety. The petition called for Farouk’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution.

In the filing, Dangote alleged that Farouk lived beyond his means as a public official, claiming he spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland over six years without lawful income to support such expenses.

Giving an update on the petition in a statement on Wednesday, Okor Odey, ICPC spokesperson, said the withdrawal notice was conveyed in a letter from Dangote’s lawyer.

Odey said the petitioner withdrew the petition in its entirety and that another law enforcement agency has taken over.

However, the ICPC spokesperson said the commission would continue its investigation into the matter despite the withdrawal of the petition.

“The letter from O.J. Onoja, SAN, states that the petitioner has withdrawn the petition dated 16th December, 2025, submitted against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past ACE/CEO of the NMDPRA, in its entirety and that another law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 statement reads.

“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 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.”

Farouk resigned as chief executive of the NMDPRA less than 24 hours after the petition was submitted, following a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.