The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said it will continue its investigation into the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Ahmed Farouk, despite the withdrawal of a petition filed by Mr. Aliko Dangote.

The Commission confirmed that it had received a notice withdrawing the petition, submitted by Dangote’s legal counsel.

However, the ICPC said that, in line with Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the investigation would proceed in the interest of transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption.

In a statement signed by the ICPC spokesperson, Mr. J. Okor Odey, the Commission said it received a letter dated January 5, 2026, titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed”, from Dr. O. J. Onoja (SAN) & Associates, counsel to Mr. Dangote.

According to the statement, the letter indicated that the petition dated December 16, 2025, had been withdrawn in its entirety, with the explanation that another law-enforcement agency had taken over the matter.

“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that, in line with the provisions of Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian State have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” the Commission said.

Mr. Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, had petitioned the ICPC in December 2025, demanding the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of Engr. Ahmed over allegations of corruption and financial impropriety.

In the petition, Mr. Dangote accused the former NMDPRA chief of allegedly living beyond his lawful earnings by spending more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland over a six-year period.

The petition, received by the office of the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), detailed the names of the children, their schools, and the amounts paid for each, to support the allegations and facilitate investigation.

Mr. Dangote further alleged that Engr. Ahmed used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain, actions which he said had sparked public outrage and protests by various groups.

He claimed that the former NMDPRA boss had spent his entire career in public service and that his cumulative earnings could not reasonably account for the alleged expenditure.

Engr. Ahmed has denied the allegations, describing them as “wild and spurious”.

The dispute between the two men dates back to July 2024, when Engr. Ahmed reportedly stated that locally refined petroleum products, including those from the Dangote Refinery, were inferior to imported alternatives.