The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has decried what it described as a media smear campaign against Ahmed Farouk, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
In a statement signed jointly by Samson Ajasa and Mr. Humphrey Jonathan, NANS stressed that NMDPRA is a statutory regulatory body that must never be coerced, intimidated, or blackmailed to serve individual or corporate interests.
NANS mentioned that while it had supported the Dangote Refinery during operational challenges, it drew a firm line against character assassination and reputational attacks against credible public servants.
“The recent actions and allegations directed at Farouk Ahmed, a man of proven integrity, professionalism, and service to the nation, are totally unacceptable to Nigerian students and civil society groups,” the statement read.
NANS called on Dangote Refinery to engage regulatory bodies and government institutions through established legal and administrative frameworks instead of media campaigns that could undermine public confidence and national stability.
The students’ association commended Ahmed and the NMDPRA for transparency in publishing regulatory reports and urged collaboration between regulators and investors to support national development.
The statement of the student union comes after the chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, filed a petition against Farouk with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
In the petition, dated and filed on December 16 via his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, Dangote requested the ICPC to detain, examine, and prosecute the NMDPRA head for supposedly living well beyond his lawful means as a public official.
The petition submitted to the office of ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, SAN, claimed that Farouk spent over seven million dollars on the education of his four children in Switzerland, reportedly paid in advance for six months, with no legitimate source of income to support such spending.
“That Engr. Farouk Ahmed has grossly abused his office contrary to the extant provisions of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and, in doing so, has enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into millions of dollars.
“That Engr. Farouk Ahmed spent, without evidence of lawful means of income, a humongous amount of money, over 7 million dollars of public funds, for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront,” the petition read.
Dangote specified the four children and the Swiss schools they attend, as well as the amounts paid for each, in the petition so that the ICPC could verify the assertions.
He further stated that Farouk utilized the NMDPRA to embezzle and redirect public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions that fueled public discontent and recent protests by numerous parties.
According to the oil magnate, Farouk has spent his whole adult working life in the Nigerian public sector and, based on his legitimate earnings over the years, could not have acquired monies close to the reported seven million dollars used to fund his children’s international education.
“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment, and embezzlement are gross acts of corrupt practices for which your Commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote said.
He noted that if successfully prosecuted under the same section of the law, the offense carries a five-year prison sentence without the possibility of a fine.
The business mogul stated, “That Engr. Farouk Ahmed has corruptly enriched himself with taxpayers’ money meant for public consumption and diverted it into private uses.
“Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offense and shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for five (5) years without option of fine.”
Dangote believes the ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies can effectively prosecute financial crimes and punish offenders.
He urged the Commission to investigate and prosecute Farouk if found culpable, as the matter is already public.
The petition stated that Dangote indicated that firm measures by the ICPC would maintain justice and safeguard the reputation of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He promised to offer proof to support his claims of corrupt enrichment, misuse of power, and impunity involving the NMDPRA leader.
During a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, Dangote made several allegations against the NMDPRA head, discussing regulatory shortcomings and purported corruption in the downstream oil industry.
He remarked that the accusations, if unaddressed, would persist in eroding public trust and investor confidence.
In June 2025, a group of protesters in Abuja made similar claims against Farouk, marching to the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation, the Code of Conduct Bureau, and the ICPC, insisting on his immediate resignation, and accusing him of transforming his office into a personal domain.
The NMDPRA, however, dismissed all the accusations, labeling them as a coordinated smear campaign rooted in misinformation against the Chief Executive Officer and his leadership.
