The President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment against a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed.
Dangote’s legal team, led by Dr O.J. Onoja (SAN), urged the anti-graft agency to thoroughly investigate the allegations and prosecute Ahmed if found culpable, according to a statement issued by the Dangote Group on Friday.
The development came days after the billionaire industrialist withdrew a similar petition earlier submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. Despite the withdrawal, the ICPC had said it would continue its investigation into the matter.
Explaining the latest move, the statement described the decision to approach the EFCC as a strategic step “aimed at accelerating the prosecution process” following the withdrawal of the petition from the ICPC.
Ahmed, who previously headed the petroleum regulatory agency, is accused in the petition of living beyond his legitimate earnings while in office.
Central to the allegations is a claim that the former NMDPRA boss spent about $5m on the secondary education of his children in Switzerland, an expense Dangote’s lawyers argue is inconsistent with his known income as a public official.
The statement added that the petition to the EFCC specifically called for an investigation into possible abuse of office, unexplained wealth and other acts of corrupt enrichment allegedly committed during Ahmed’s tenure at the regulatory authority.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Ahmed nor the EFCC had publicly responded to the allegations or confirmed receipt of the petition.
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