8.1.2026
Aliko Dangote’s quest to withdraw the petition he filed against former Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) CEO Farouk Ahmed has been rejected by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Mr. Ahmed was relieved of his post by President Bola Tinubu in the heat of the media blitz that followed Dangote’s allegations he accused Ahmed of spending $5 million on his children’s school fees abroad.
The ICPC said they are have already opened investigations into the allegations against Mr. Ahmed and there would be no going back regardless of the petitioner’s decision to withdraw the complaint
In a statement issued on Wednesday night and shared by John Odey, its spokesperson, the Commission confirmed receipt of a letter dated January 5, 2026, titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, former ACE/CEO of the NMDPRA.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is in receipt of a letter dated January 5, 2025, titled ‘Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed,’ submitted to the Commission by Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN and Associates, legal counsel to Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
“The letter from O.J Onoja SAN, states that the petitioner has withdrawn the petition dated 16th December, 2025, submitted against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past ACE/CEO of the NMDPRA in its entirety and that another law enforcement agency has taken over
“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that in line with the provisions of sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing.
“The ICPC will therefore continue to investigate this matter in line with its statutory mandate and in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria.”