- ICPC Demands Dangote’s Physical Appearance Over Alleged NMDPRA Fraud
- Onoja had visited the ICPC offices on December 22 to adopt the petition on Dangote’s behalf
- Dangote’s petition alleges that Ahmed spent over $7 million of public funds on his four children’s education
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has directed Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, to appear in person to formally adopt his corruption petition against the former Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the ICPC emphasized that, under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, proxy representation is not allowed in criminal matters.
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In a letter issued through Dangote’s lawyer, Dr. Ogwu Onoja (SAN), on December 24, the commission set December 29 as the deadline for Dangote’s personal appearance.
Onoja had visited the ICPC offices on December 22 to adopt the petition on Dangote’s behalf. However, in a subsequent letter from the Chief of Staff to the ICPC Chairman, Rouqayya Ibrahim, the commission stated that Dangote must adopt the petition in person to ensure procedural integrity and for potential use in court proceedings.
The ICPC letter reads in part: “It is essential, for purposes of procedural integrity and admissibility, that Alhaji Aliko Dangote personally adopts his petition before the commission. Accordingly, we respectfully request his appearance at the Commission’s Headquarters on 29th December 2025 at 10am for the purpose of formally adopting his petition.”
Dangote’s petition alleges that Ahmed spent over $7 million of public funds on his four children’s education at elite Swiss schools, with fees reportedly paid upfront for six years. He claims the expenditure lacked lawful justification.
The dispute between Dangote and the petroleum regulator previously culminated in a N100 billion lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The suit challenged import licenses issued by the NMDPRA and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), arguing that licenses were granted despite sufficient domestic production capacity, in violation of sections of the Petroleum Industry Act. The lawsuit was discontinued in July 2025.
ICPC guidelines allow any person, anywhere in the world, to file complaints against individuals or corporate entities in Nigeria if there are reasonable grounds to suspect a violation of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
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