Dangote vs Farouk: Adeyanju calls for expedited probe of NMDPRA boss over $5m tuition allegations

Rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has urged Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies to immediately probe claims that the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, allegedly spent about $5 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland.

The allegation was made by billionaire industrialist, Aliko Dangote, who asserted that he possesses credible evidence to substantiate the claim.

In a video that has since gone viral, Dangote challenged Ahmed to publicly refute the accusation.

Reacting to the development, Adeyanju said the public spat between Dangote and the NMDPRA boss exposes serious concerns about transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

In a statement he personally signed, Adeyanju cautioned the Federal Government against yielding to any attempt by Dangote to dominate the petroleum industry.

“I call on all relevant anti-corruption agencies to urgently investigate the allegation that Farouk Ahmed, CEO of NMDPRA, spent approximately five million dollars on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland. If this claim is accurate, it raises serious questions about how such expenditure could be justified through earnings from public service,” he said.

However, Adeyanju stressed that Dangote should not be portrayed as a public-interest champion simply because of the allegations leveled against the regulator.

“This controversy should not be mistaken as evidence that Aliko Dangote has suddenly become a defender of the national interest,” Adeyanju stated.

According to him, the conflict is rooted in economic power and market dominance rather than genuine regulatory concerns. “Dangote’s issue is not regulation itself, but regulation that restricts his ability to monopolize a sector he only recently entered.

“The Federal Government must not allow public pressure or economic intimidation to weaken state institutions. Regulators deserve support so long as they operate within the law.”

He further noted that Nigeria’s petroleum industry is regulated under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which was enacted to encourage competition through a willing buyer, willing seller framework, not to entrench private monopolies. He argued that Dangote’s posture appears inconsistent with this objective.

Adeyanju added that if Dangote truly wants Nigerians to embrace locally refined fuel and reduce dependence on imports, prices must be competitive.

“It is illogical that fuel refined in Ibeju-Lekki costs more than products imported from countries as distant as Brazil or Argentina,” he said.

The activist lawyer noted that there are also allegations, though disputed, about the quality of Dangote’s petroleum products.

He emphasized that Dangote voluntarily chose to invest in a massive, single-line refinery and must bear the associated risks.

“Investment risks cannot be transferred to citizens through inflated prices or restricted options. Patriotism does not require Nigerians to pay more or consume less simply because a product is locally produced,” he said.

Adeyanju also noted that the clash between Dangote and Ahmed did not arise overnight, describing it as a prolonged conflict.

He called on the Federal Government to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the entire matter, including allegations against the regulator and whether any inducements were offered or rejected.