Africa’s richest man and Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed.
The petition, submitted on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, accused the regulatory chief of “monumental corruption,” abuse of office, and living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant.
In the petition, which was filed through his team of lawyers led by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, Dangote demanded the arrest and prosecution of Farouk Ahmed, whom he accused of living above his means as a public servant.
The billionaire claimed that the NMDPRA boss allegedly paid over $5 million in tuition fees for four of his children in different schools in Switzerland.
According to him, the humongous school fees, an extravangaza of some sorts, were paid upfront for a period of six years.
To establish his claim and aid ICPC’s investigation, Dangote listed the names of Ahmed’s four children and their schools in Switzerland, including the amount paid for each of them.
He alleged that Ahmed used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for self-gains and the pursuit of private interest, to the detriment of the Nigerian people, a development he said recently led to protests by different groups.
The petition reads in part: “It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of Code of Conduct for public officers, Corrupt enrichment, and embezzlement are gross acts of corrupt practices for which your Commission (ICPC) is statutorily empowered under section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute.
“Upon a successful prosecution of such a person, under section 19, of the ICPC Act, the person is liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine,” Dangote said.
“We make bold to state that the ICPC is strategically positioned along the sister agencies to prosecute financial crimes and other corruption-related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the Courts do not hesitate to punish offenders.
“In view of the above, we call on the Commission under your leadership to investigate the complaint of abuse of office and corruption against Engr Farouk Ahmed and to prosecute him accordingly if found wanting.
“We have no reservation that, being a matter that is in the public domain, the Commission will not close its eyes to it but act decisively to ensure that justice is done and the good image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is protected.”
According to the details published by Dangote, the $5 million figure covers six years for four of Ahmed’s children.
Dangote listed the four children as Faisal Farouk, Farouk Jr., Ashraf Farouk, and Farhana Farouk.
According to the billionaire entrepreneur, the secondary schools the children attended for a duration of six years were Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, and La Garenne International School.
Dangoted also presented estimated annual tuition, living expenses, air travel, and upkeep, which were multiplied across four children and several years of study.
He stated that the annual cost of tuition, airfare, and upkeep per child was $200,000, totaling $800,000 per year for his four children.
The businessman further explained that the total living expenses and air tickets for each child over six years were $1.2 million, totaling $4.8 million for all four children.
Overall, Dangote estimated that the combined cost of tuition and upkeep for all the children reached $5 million.
He also listed the tertiary education expenses for Ahmed’s children, noting that tuition, upkeep, airfare, and other costs average approximately $125,000 per year over four years.
According to the billionaire, this adds up to $500,000 for four years per child, totalling $2 million for all of them.
“Faisal just finished the 2025 Harvard MBA at $150,000 and $60,000 for upkeep, tickets, and other incidentals. Total =$210,000 spent in 2025 for Faisal’s MBA,” he added.
Dangote said Nigerians deserve to know the source of the money “paid by a public officer while many parents in his home state of Sokoto cannot afford to pay N10,000 school fees for their children and wards”.
