Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, failed to appear on Monday before a special investigative team set up by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to formally adopt his petition against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA), Engineer Farouk Ahmed.
The ICPC had earlier directed Dangote to appear in person, despite the fact that his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, had already filed the petition on December 16 and attended the commission’s headquarters in Abuja last week to provide additional information. The commission emphasized that Dangote’s personal presence was necessary to preserve procedural integrity and ensure the petition’s admissibility in potential court proceedings.
A letter from the ICPC, signed by Chief of Staff Rouqayya Ibrahim and dated December 22, noted the criminal nature of the allegations and formally requested Dangote’s appearance at the commission’s headquarters on December 29 at 10 a.m.
However, Dangote did not attend as requested. Sources confirmed that he had instead written to the ICPC seeking a rescheduled date in January 2026 to formally adopt the petition.
Dangote’s petition accuses Ahmed of corrupt practices, including misappropriation of funds and the payment of over $5 million in school fees for Ahmed’s four children in Switzerland. The petition also alleges that Ahmed lived beyond his lawful earnings, undermined domestic petroleum refining, and colluded with oil marketers and international traders through the issuance of import licenses.
Following a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last week, Ahmed resigned, and a successor has since been appointed.
While Dangote’s lawyer met with investigators last week and submitted supporting documents, the ICPC has reiterated its commitment to thoroughly investigate the allegations, describing the claims as too serious to ignore. The commission spokesperson could not immediately confirm Dangote’s absence.
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