The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced that it will continue its investigation into the corruption allegations against the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, notwithstanding the withdrawal of the complaint by the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote.
The anti-graft agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Head of Media and Public Communications, Okor Odey.
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The statement followed the receipt of a letter titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed” from O.J. Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Mr Dangote’s lawyer, dated 5 January.
According to the ICPC, the letter informed the commission that Mr Dangote had withdrawn, in its entirety, the petition dated 16 December 2025 against Mr Ahmed and that another law enforcement agency had taken over the matter.
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However, the commission said the withdrawal would not halt its investigation.
“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that in line with the provisions of sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” the statement noted.
It added that the investigation would continue in line with its statutory mandate.
“The ICPC will therefore continue to investigate this matter in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria,” it said.
Last December, Mr Dangote petitioned the ICPC through his lawyer, accusing Mr Ahmed of corruption, abuse of office and economic sabotage. The former NMDPRA chief has denied any wrongdoing.
The petition followed a public dispute between both men over petroleum importation policies implemented under Mr Ahmed’s leadership at the NMDPRA.
Mr Dangote alleged that the policies undermined Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, particularly the operations of his multi-billion-dollar refinery.
Mr Ahmed had maintained that Nigeria’s petroleum supply should not be monopolised and that import permits should remain open to other market players to encourage competition.
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The disagreement later escalated, with Mr Dangote alleging that Mr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, citing the overseas education of his children as possible evidence of regulatory compromise.
Amidst the controversy, President Bola Tinubu, on 17 December, replaced the heads of the NMDPRA and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Mr Dangote’s notice of withdrawal of the petition came less than a month after Mr Ahmed was removed from office.
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