Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has formally withdrawn his petition against the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engineer Farouk Ahmed, but the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has vowed to continue its investigation.

Dangote’s decision was conveyed to the ICPC through a letter dated January 5, 2026, titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed,” and signed by his legal counsel, Dr O.J. Onoja, SAN. In the letter, Dangote withdrew in its entirety the petition earlier submitted on December 16, 2025, citing that another law enforcement agency had taken over the matter.

However, the ICPC rejected the withdrawal, insisting that investigations had already commenced and would be pursued to a logical conclusion in the public interest.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, ICPC spokesperson, Mr John Odey, said the commission was acting within the powers granted by its enabling Act.

“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that in line with Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its Act, investigations in this matter, which are in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state, have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” Odey said.

He added that the commission would continue to probe the allegations in line with its statutory mandate, stressing that anti-corruption investigations are not dependent on the continued interest of a petitioner.

“The ICPC will therefore continue to investigate this matter in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria,” he stated.

Dangote’s original petition accused Ahmed of corrupt practices, centring on alleged extensive foreign education expenses incurred for his four children. According to the petition, the children reportedly attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland for about six years each.

The schools listed include Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey and La Garenne International School. Dangote alleged that the combined cost of tuition, upkeep, travel and related expenses for the four children exceeded $5 million.

He further claimed that an additional $2 million was spent on university education for the children over a four-year period. Specific allegations were also made for 2025, with Dangote asserting that about $210,000 was spent on one child’s Master of Business Administration programme at Harvard University, including $150,000 for tuition and $60,000 for accommodation, travel and other incidentals.

The allegations have not been independently verified as of the time of filing this report. Engineer Farouk Ahmed has also yet to publicly respond to the claims.