Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, has filed a formal petition with Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission requesting an investigation into Farouk Ahmed, the former chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The petition alleges that Ahmed engaged in abuse of office, corrupt enrichment, and financial misconduct during his tenure.
The move comes after Dangote initially filed an identical complaint with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in December 2025 but strategically withdrew it this week to pursue the case with the EFCC instead. According to his lawyers, this decision was made to accelerate the possibility of a prosecution.
In the detailed petition, Dangote specifically accuses Ahmed of living far beyond the legitimate means of a public servant. A central allegation is that Ahmed spent more than $7 million over six years to educate his four children at elite schools in Switzerland, an expenditure that vastly outstrips his official government salary and allowances.
Dangote’s legal team has urged the EFCC to fully investigate what they describe as clear violations of the code of conduct for public officers. They argue that a successful prosecution would serve as a strong deterrent against corruption for other officials in the country. Farouk Ahmed resigned from his position in December 2025 and has not yet publicly responded to these latest allegations.
