The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that its investigation into a petition filed by businessman Alhaji Aliko Dangote against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past Authority Chief Executive/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), is ongoing despite the petitioner’s withdrawal of the complaint.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commission Head of Media and Public Communications J. Okor Odey, the ICPC 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 and Associates, counsel to Dangote. The letter indicated that the petition dated December 16, 2025, had been withdrawn in its entirety, adding that another law enforcement agency had taken over the matter.
However, the commission stated that in accordance with Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of the ICPC Act, investigations initiated in the public interest cannot be discontinued solely on the basis of a petitioner’s withdrawal. It stressed that the probe had already commenced and remains ongoing.
The ICPC reaffirmed its resolve to continue investigating the matter in line with its statutory mandate, emphasising its commitment to transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption in the interest of the Nigerian state and its citizens.
