The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced steps toward the prosecution of allegations raised by businessman Aliko Dangote against the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed, insisting that his resignation does not affect the investigation.
The anti-graft agency has invited Dangote to appear before it or be represented by his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), as it formally begins investigation of the petition tomorrow (Monday).
According to The Nation, sources at the commission disclosed that Dangote has been asked to submit documents and other evidence to support his allegations, which include claims of corruption and misappropriation of funds, as well as the alleged spending of millions of dollars on the education of Ahmed’s four children in Switzerland.
It was further reported that the ICPC on Friday constituted a panel of crack investigators to handle the probe, underscoring the seriousness attached to the matter.
“All is set for the investigation,” a source in ICPC told The Nation at the weekend.
“ICPC has set up a panel of crack investigators on Dangote’s petition. The Chairman of the commission, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) asked the trusted team to stay action on a case and focus on Dangote’s petition. This underscores the importance attached to this case,” the source said.
SaharaReporters previously reported that the commission had formally acknowledged receipt of the petition and vowed to investigate the allegations against Ahmed.
“We have also invited Dangote or his lawyer to come on Monday to adopt the petition. Either of them is to present relevant documents or evidence to support the petition,” the source was quoted as saying.
“He who alleges must prove or provide lead on the allegations which our investigators must act on.”
The source added that due process would be followed once the petition is adopted.
“We have acknowledged the receipt of the petition in line with our guidelines or mandate to do so within 48 hours,” the source said.
Continuing, the source said that “after formal adoption of the petition, we will isolate issues and ask Ahmed to respond to the allegations.
“We have been inundated with enquiries but I can assure you that ICPC will be fair to all the parties.”
Addressing questions on the resignation of the former NMDPRA boss, the source stressed that the probe would proceed regardless.
“The resignation of Ahmed does not affect this probe which is in the public interest,” the source said.
The ICPC source also cited relevant provisions of its enabling law in relation to the allegations and the responsibilities of petitioners, saying, “Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act (ICPC Act 2000) makes it an offence for any public officer to use his/her position to confer an unfair or corrupt advantage on himself, his relatives, associates, or other public officers. Anyone found guilty of any such offence is liable to five years imprisonment without the option of a fine.
“The enabling law also stipulates harsh punishment for individuals deemed to have wasted ICPC’s time and resources by making malicious or frivolous petitions against others.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had resigned from office.
Dangote’s Corruption Allegations
In his petition, Dangote accused Ahmed of corruption, abuse of office and illicit enrichment.
Dangote, in the petition dated December 16 and addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), demanded the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Ahmed, accusing him of living far above his legitimate means as a public servant.
According to the petition, Ahmed allegedly spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, paying school fees upfront for six years.
The businessman noted that the amount could not be justified by the total earnings of a career public servant.
The businessman reportedly named the four children, their schools and the specific sums paid for each of them, urging the anti-graft agency to verify the claims and establish what he described as “clear evidence of corrupt enrichment.”
Dangote further alleged that Ahmed abused his office by diverting public funds for personal use, accusing him of deploying the regulatory authority as an instrument for embezzlement and the pursuit of private interests to the detriment of Nigerians.
He claimed that the alleged misconduct by Ahmed had triggered recent public outrage and protests by different groups across the country.
The businessman insisted that Ahmed’s lifetime earnings in public service could not lawfully account for such expenditure, alleging that the funds used to educate his children abroad were diverted from public coffers.
He urged the ICPC to act decisively under Section 19 of the ICPC Act, noting that the law prescribes a five-year jail term without an option of fine for such offences.
Dangote said he was prepared to personally appear before investigators to provide documentary and other evidence to substantiate his allegations against Ahmed.
The allegations were first made public by Dangote during a media interaction at the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, last Sunday, where he questioned Ahmed’s source of wealth and accused the regulator of frustrating local refining efforts through the continued issuance of fuel import licences.
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