The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that its investigation into the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, will continue despite the withdrawal of a petition filed by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote.
The anti-graft agency disclosed that it received a notice of withdrawal of the petition from Dangote’s legal representatives but stressed that the action would not halt its ongoing probe.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the ICPC spokesperson, Mr. J. Okor Odey, the commission said the withdrawal was communicated in a letter dated January 5, 2026, titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed,” submitted by Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN & Associates, counsel to Dangote.
According to the statement, the letter indicated that the petition dated December 16, 2025, had been withdrawn in its entirety and that another law enforcement agency had taken over the matter.
However, the ICPC emphasized that under Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, it retains the statutory authority to investigate allegations of corruption irrespective of a petitioner’s withdrawal.
“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that investigations, in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state, have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” the commission said.
Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, had in December 2025 petitioned the ICPC, alleging corruption and financial impropriety against Farouk, including claims that the former NMDPRA boss was living beyond his legitimate earnings as a public servant. He had called for Farouk’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution.
The ICPC said the continuation of the probe underscores its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
