Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has escalated his dispute with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, by filing a formal petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The petition, submitted on Tuesday and received by the office of the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), accuses Farouk of corruption, abuse of office, and illicit enrichment.
In the document, Dangote alleged that the NMDPRA chief spent more than $7 million upfront on the education of his four children in Switzerland over a six-year period, an amount he claimed is grossly disproportionate to Farouk’s legitimate earnings as a career public servant.
According to Dangote, Farouk has worked in the Nigerian public sector throughout his adult life and could not have lawfully earned such sums. He alleged that public funds were being diverted through the NMDPRA to finance private interests, including the foreign education of Farouk’s children.
The petition reportedly contains the identities of the four children, the Swiss schools they attend, and a detailed breakdown of the fees paid in support of the allegations.
Dangote urged the ICPC to arrest, investigate, and prosecute the NMDPRA boss, citing provisions of the ICPC Act which criminalise abuse of office, embezzlement, corrupt enrichment, and breaches of the Code of Conduct for public officers. He noted that a conviction under Section 19 of the Act carries a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
He further argued that the alleged misconduct had fuelled public anger and protests in recent times, warning that failure to act decisively could undermine public confidence in the government’s anti-corruption stance.
In the petition, Dangote expressed confidence in the ICPC’s capacity to investigate and prosecute corruption cases, calling on the commission to act in the public interest and protect the integrity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The billionaire businessman also stated his willingness to provide documentary evidence to support his claims if required by investigators.
The allegations were first made public on Sunday during a press briefing at the Dangote Refinery in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, where Dangote alleged that Farouk was paying about $5 million in school fees for his children abroad. He later amplified the claims in a national newspaper before formally petitioning the ICPC.
The dispute between both men is rooted in the regulation of petroleum imports. Dangote has repeatedly criticised the continued issuance of import licences for refined petroleum products, arguing that his $20 billion refinery is capable of meeting Nigeria’s domestic fuel demand.
According to him, the refinery has formally informed the NMDPRA of its capacity to supply up to 50 million litres of petrol daily—well above national consumption. He also disclosed plans to expand refining capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, a move that would surpass India’s Reliance refinery, currently the world’s largest.
“We have already signed the necessary agreements. Construction piling begins before the end of January, and we will deliver on schedule,” Dangote said after a recent meeting with President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.