The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said its investigation into a petition filed by industrialist 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 withdrawal of the petition.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its Media and Public Communications Unit, the Commission confirmed receipt of a letter dated January 5, 2026, titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed.” The letter was submitted by Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN and Associates, legal counsel to Dangote.
According to the ICPC, the letter indicated that the petitioner had withdrawn the petition dated December 16, 2025, against Ahmed in its entirety, adding that another law enforcement agency had taken over the matter.
However, the anti-graft agency stressed that the withdrawal would not halt its actions. “The ICPC wishes to state categorically that, in line with the provisions of Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” the statement said.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing the matter within the ambit of the law, noting that its statutory mandate guides its actions.
“The ICPC will therefore continue to investigate this matter in line with its statutory mandate and in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria,” the statement added.
The statement was signed by J. Okor Odey, ANIPR, Spokesperson and Head of Media and Public Communications of the Commission.
