Chairman of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote, has taken his corruption allegations against former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The development was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by the Dangote Group’s media office. The move comes after the conglomerate earlier submitted a similar petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of allegedly spending $5 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland.
Although the petition was later withdrawn from the ICPC, the anti-graft agency had indicated that it would proceed with its investigation regardless. Dangote’s decision to approach the EFCC, according to the statement, followed “the withdrawal of the same petition from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, a strategic decision aimed at accelerating the prosecution process.”
In the fresh petition addressed to the EFCC and signed by lead counsel, Dr O. J. Onoja, Dangote called on the commission to investigate allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment levelled against Ahmed. The petition further urged the anti-graft agency to prosecute the former NMDPRA chief should the allegations be established.
The latest move signals a renewed push by the company to ensure that the allegations are thoroughly examined by relevant authorities.
