President Bola Tinubu has replaced the heads of two petroleum agencies, including one accused of corruption by Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited.
In a statement on Wednesday, the presidency said Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Gbenga Komolafe, the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), both resigned their positions.
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Mr Ahmed had been embroiled in controversy with allegations of corruption and abuse of office made by Mr Dangote, whose refinery is the largest in Africa.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, in the statement, also named two new appointees to replace the exiting officials.
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On Sunday, Mr Dangote accused Mr Ahmed of economic sabotage, which he said is undermining domestic refining in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, he accused the leadership of the NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products.
Mr Dangote claimed that Mr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, stating that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at a cost running into several million dollars. He said such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.
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On Monday, he expanded his allegations, accusing Mr Farouk of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, providing detailed figures for his children’s education abroad.
According to him, Mr Farouk spent about $5 million on secondary education and upkeep over six years, and an additional $2 million on tertiary education, including $210,000 for Faisal Farouk’s 2025 Harvard MBA.
On Tuesday, Mr Dangote submitted the petition through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), calling for Mr Farouk’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution for allegedly living above his means as a public officer.
The petition, addressed to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman Musa Aliyu, alleged that Mr Farouk “spent without evidence of lawful means of income amounting to over $7 million for the education of his four children” in Switzerland. It provided the children’s names, schools, and specific amounts for verification.
Mr Dangote further accused Mr Farouk of using his position to embezzle public funds, prompting protests from civil society groups.
He cited Section 19 of the ICPC Act, which empowers the commission to investigate and prosecute corrupt practices, noting that a successful prosecution could result in a five-year jail term without the option of a fine.
He urged the ICPC to act decisively, stressing that he remained available to provide evidence supporting his claims.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Ahmed said that while he is aware of the “wild and spurious allegations” made against him and his family, and the frenzy they have generated, he has chosen not to engage in public debate.
He said he was thankful that the person behind the allegations had taken it to a formal investigative institution, adding that he believes that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distil the issues and clear his name.
READ ALSO: NMDPRA’s CEO disowns ‘response’ to Dangote allegations, clarifies position
Read Mr Onanuga’s full statement below.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.
The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.
Ms Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the NNPC and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.
Mr Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. He was announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Mr Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
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