The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Engr Farouk Ahmed, has disowned a viral statement circulating online that was purported to be his response to corruption allegations recently made against him by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote.
The controversy followed a press briefing by Dangote at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, where the business mogul accused Ahmed of economic sabotage and alleged personal financial misconduct. Dangote specifically claimed that the NMDPRA boss spent about five million dollars on the secondary education of his children in Switzerland and urged anti graft agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, to investigate the matter.
The allegations have further heightened an already tense standoff between the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest single train refinery, and the NMDPRA over regulatory issues bordering on fuel import licences, product quality control and competition in the downstream petroleum market.
On Tuesday, a lengthy statement attributed to Ahmed began circulating across social media platforms and some online news outlets. The document attempted to explain his personal finances and family affairs while pushing back against Dangote’s claims. However, Ahmed moved swiftly to distance himself from the statement.
In a short official response issued on Wednesday, the NMDPRA chief made it clear that the document did not originate from him. He said his attention had been drawn to a purported response credited to him on the allegations and stated categorically that the so called statement was fabricated and unauthorised.
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Ahmed explained that, given the sensitive nature of his position as a regulator in the petroleum sector, he had deliberately avoided engaging in public exchanges. He added that he welcomed the formal investigation arising from Dangote’s petition to the ICPC, describing it as an opportunity to objectively examine the issues and clear his name.
The NMDPRA has also confirmed that the viral document making the rounds is false and did not emanate from the authority or its chief executive. Meanwhile, the ICPC has acknowledged receipt of Dangote’s petition and has assured the public that the allegations will be thoroughly investigated.
The unfolding saga underscores growing tensions within Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, where regulatory decisions carry major consequences for domestic refining, fuel supply, pricing and national energy security. Industry observers say the outcome of the probe could shape public confidence in both the regulator and the country’s flagship private refinery project.
As investigations begin, both Dangote and the NMDPRA leadership have held firmly to their positions, with no sign yet of de-escalation in a dispute that continues to attract national attention.
