By Muhammad Mamman
Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency has invited Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, to appear before its investigators in a widening probe into allegations of corruption and economic sabotage against the former head of the country’s downstream oil regulator.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirmed it has asked Dangote to personally appear or send a legal representative to formally adopt and substantiate a petition he filed against Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Sources within the commission said Dangote is expected on Monday, December 22, or to be represented by his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The ICPC has constituted a special panel of senior investigators to handle the case, with the panel’s mandate approved by the commission’s chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, also a SAN. Officials say preparations for the investigation are complete.
Dangote’s petition, submitted on December 16, accuses Ahmed of living far beyond his legitimate income, alleging that the former regulator spent more than $7m on the education of his four children at elite schools in Switzerland.
The petition also alleges that Ahmed engaged in economic sabotage by issuing petroleum import licences in alleged collusion with international oil traders, actions Dangote claims undermined Nigeria’s local refining capacity — including his own multibillion-dollar refinery.
Although Ahmed recently resigned from his position at the NMDPRA, ICPC officials said the investigation would proceed regardless.
“Resignation does not stop an investigation, especially one that raises serious public interest concerns,” a source familiar with the probe told Al Jazeera. The official added that Dangote would be required to submit documentary evidence and other materials backing his claims before Ahmed is formally invited to respond.
The ICPC said the investigation would be conducted in line with the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, stressing that due process and fairness would be guaranteed. Conviction under the law carries penalties of up to five years in prison.
The case comes amid months of strained relations between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the NMDPRA, following regulatory disputes earlier in 2025 over fuel quality standards, import approvals and market access.
No charges have been filed against Ahmed, and the allegations remain under investigation.
