Aliko Dangote has withdrawn the petition he filed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission against Ahmed Farouk, the former head of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The ICPC confirmed the development in a press statement titled, “Investigation of Dangote’s Petition Against Engineer Farouk Ahmed of NMDPRA Continues.”
This move comes amid ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption and financial misconduct against the former regulator, which had earlier led to his resignation.
The ICPC said it received a letter dated January 5, 2026, titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition Against Engineer Farouk Ahmed,” submitted by Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN & Associates, legal representatives of Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The Commission noted that the letter formally withdrew, in its entirety, the petition originally filed on December 16, 2025, against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past CEO of the NMDPRA.
Dangote’s legal team reportedly explained that the petition was withdrawn because “another law enforcement agency has taken over” the investigation of the allegations it contained.
Nonetheless, the ICPC stressed that, under Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of the ICPC Act, investigations already initiated in the interest of the Nigerian state and its citizens will continue.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption.
It was previously reported that Dangote had accused Ahmed Farouk of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
At the center of the allegations was a claim that the former NMDPRA chief spent millions of dollars on the education of his four children in Switzerland, without any clear evidence of lawful income to justify such expenses.
Following the public accusations and the filing of the petition, Farouk resigned from his position and was subsequently replaced by a presidential appointment from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Prior to filing the petition, Dangote had publicly accused the former NMDPRA chief of financial impropriety during a media briefing on challenges in Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas sector on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
