The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed has disowned a statement circulating online that claimed he had responded to corruption allegations made against him by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote.
In a disclaimer issued on Wednesday, Ahmed said the statement did not come from him. He stressed that he neither authored nor authorised it.
“My attention has been drawn to a purported response I was said to have made on the recent allegations against my person,” Ahmed said. “I hereby state categorically that the so-called statement did not emanate from me.”
The disclaimer follows allegations by Dangote that Ahmed engaged in corruption and funded his children’s foreign education with illicit funds.
Ahmed Declines Public Exchange, Cites Formal Investigation
Ahmed said he deliberately avoided responding publicly to the allegations. He explained that his role as a regulator in a sensitive sector required restraint.
“While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family, and the frenzy it has generated, I have opted not to engage in public brickbat,” he said.
He confirmed that the matter has moved beyond public debate. According to him, Dangote has taken the allegations to a formal investigative body.
“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution,” Ahmed said. “I believe that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and to clear my name.”
Ahmed signed the disclaimer in his capacity as Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA.
ICPC Confirms Petition from Dangote
The development comes after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirmed that it will investigate a petition filed against Ahmed by Dangote.
Dangote submitted the petition on December 16, 2025, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN). He urged the ICPC to investigate, prosecute, and, if necessary, arrest the NMDPRA chief.
The petition alleges that Ahmed spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland. It claims the payments were made upfront for six years, without any lawful source of income to justify the expenditure.
The document accuses Ahmed of abusing his office and violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Office Holders.
“That Engr. Farouk Ahmed has grossly abused his office… and enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into millions of dollars,” the petition stated.
It further alleged that Ahmed spent “a humongous sum of over $7 million of public funds on the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland.”
As of the time of reporting, the ICPC has not released further details on the scope or timeline of its investigation.