‘I am going to clear my name’: NMDPRA boss Farouk Ahmed debunks alleged response to Dangote’s accusations
‘I am going to clear my name’: NMDPRA boss Farouk Ahmed debunks alleged response to Dangote’s accusations
Farouk Ahmed, Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has distanced himself from a response to Aliko Dangote’s allegations against him.
Ahmed, in a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday, said that while he was aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against him and his family, and the frenzy they have generated, he had opted not to engage in public brickbats, given his role as a regulator in a sensitive industry.
Recall that Dangote had accused Ahmed of economic sabotage, which he said is undermining domestic refining in Nigeria. He also accused the leadership of the NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products.
Dangote also claimed that Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, adding that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into several million of dollars.
He said such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.
Reacting to the allegations, Ahmed said that the issue, being taken to a formal investigative institution, would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and to clear his name.
He said, “My attention has been drawn to a purported response I was said to have made on the recent allegations against my person. I hereby state categorically that the so-called statement did not emanate from me.
“While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family and the frenzy it has generated, as a regulator of a sensitive industry, I have opted not to engage in public brickbat.
“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution. I believe that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and to clear my name.”
The latest move by Dangote is part of the effort to sustain his refinery from oil cartels, who have been at his neck since the company began operations. The richest black man has been publicly assertive in 2025 as he battles to save his refinery from being run down by oil cabals.
What do you think the outcome of the investigation would be? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
