Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, has withdrawn his petition against Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past chief executive officer of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Gatekeepers News reports that the anti-graft agency said the withdrawal was communicated through a letter from Dangote’s lawyer, O.J. Onoja, SAN, indicating that the petition submitted in December had been pulled in full and that another law enforcement agency was now handling the complaint.
Dangote had accused the former NMDPRA boss of corruption and financial misconduct, alleging that Ahmed lived beyond his lawful earnings as a public officer.
The petition claimed that more than $7 million was spent on the education of Ahmed’s four children in Switzerland over several years, with no clear source of income to support such expenses.
Despite the withdrawal, the ICPC said its investigation would not stop. The commission said that once a petition raises issues of public interest, it has the legal power to proceed, regardless of the petitioner’s decision to step back.
According to ICPC, investigations into the matter had already commenced before the withdrawal letter was received and would continue in line with its statutory mandate to promote transparency and accountability in public service.
