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Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged corruption and abuse of office by the former Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed.

The petition, filed through Dangote’s legal team and signed by Lead Counsel, Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN, was submitted at the EFCC headquarters following the withdrawal of an earlier petition from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The move, sources say, is aimed at fast-tracking investigation and possible prosecution.

In the petition, Dangote urged the EFCC to probe allegations of corrupt enrichment and abuse of office against the former regulator and to prosecute him if a prima facie case is established.

“We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned, alongside sister agencies, to prosecute financial crimes and corruption-related offences,” the petition stated, citing recent court decisions to underscore the judiciary’s readiness to punish offenders once culpability is proven.

Dr. Onoja further called on the EFCC leadership, under Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, to urgently investigate the allegations and take appropriate legal action if the former NMDPRA boss is found wanting.

According to the petition, a prompt and decisive handling of the matter would not only be expedient but would also “serve as a deterrent to other public officers with corrupt tendencies.”

The latest development reinforces Dangote’s publicly stated stance on transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory space.

It will be recalled that on December 14, 2025, Dangote raised alarm over what he described as Mr. Ahmed’s lifestyle and spending patterns, alleging that they far exceeded his legitimate earnings as a public officer. Central to the allegations is the claim that four of Mr. Ahmed’s children were educated in elite Swiss secondary schools at a combined cost running into millions of dollars.

Dangote listed the schools as Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, and La Garenne International School, stating that each child spent about six years in these institutions. He estimated annual tuition, travel, and upkeep at roughly $200,000 per child, putting the total cost of secondary education alone at about $5 million.

He further alleged that an additional $2 million was spent on the children’s tertiary education, including about $210,000 for a Harvard MBA programme undertaken by one of them in 2025.

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

The petition calls for a thorough and transparent investigation, insisting that accountability is critical to restoring public trust in Nigeria’s regulatory institutions.