ICPC Stands Firm: N30.7M Alleged NNPC Fraud Probe Continues Despite Dangote’s Withdrawal
The high-stakes battle for accountability in Nigeria’s energy sector has taken a complex legal turn as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has rejected a request to terminate an ongoing investigation. In a definitive statement issued late Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the commission confirmed it would proceed with the probe into N30.7M Alleged NNPC Fraud and other related financial improprieties, despite a formal notice of withdrawal from the original petitioner, billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote.
This decision underscores the agency’s statutory independence, asserting that once a matter of public interest is initiated, the state maintains the mandate to pursue justice regardless of the petitioner’s stance.
The controversy centers on Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA. In a petition originally submitted on December 16, 2025, Dangote had called for the arrest and prosecution of Ahmed, alleging a “monumental” abuse of office.
The most startling detail in the petition involved claims that Ahmed spent over $7 million on the elite Swiss education of his four children, reportedly paying the fees upfront for a six-year period. Dangote argued that these expenditures were vastly inconsistent with the lawful income of a career public servant and pointed toward a deeper web of diverted public funds.
However, by January 5, 2026, a shift occurred in the legal strategy of the Dangote camp. A letter from his counsel, Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN, was delivered to the ICPC notifying the commission of the total withdrawal of the petition, citing that “another law enforcement agency” had taken over the matter. While the identity of this agency, likely the EFCC, remains a point of speculation, the ICPC has cited Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act to justify its refusal to step down. The commission maintains that the investigation, which began the moment the petition was filed, is now a matter of national interest that cannot be “switched off” by a private citizen or corporate entity.
This unfolding saga is the culmination of a long-standing feud between the regulator and the refinery mogul, which reached a breaking point in late 2025 over fuel importation licenses and claims of “inferior” local products. Although Ahmed resigned shortly after the petition was filed, the ICPC’s insistence on continuing the probe suggests that the legal implications extend far beyond a simple administrative exit.
As the commission gathers more evidence, the focus remains on whether the N30.7M Alleged NNPC Fraud and the multi-million dollar Swiss school fees represent a systemic failure in the oversight of Nigeria’s oil wealth. For now, the anti-graft agency’s firm stance serves as a reminder that in the fight against corruption, the public interest remains the ultimate authority.