KEY POINTS

• ICPC Farouk Ahmed investigation will continue.
• Petition against former regulator chief was withdrawn.
• ICPC cites statutory powers to proceed independently.

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency will continue investigating Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, despite the withdrawal of a petition that triggered the inquiry.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission said it received notice that the complainant withdrew the case against Ahmed, but insisted it can still pursue the investigation in the public interest under its statutory powers. The commission set out this position late Wednesday in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Okor Odey.

ICPC Farouk Ahmed investigation continues

According to the ICPC, the withdrawal notice was conveyed in a January 5, 2026 letter from the law firm of O.J. Onoja, SAN and Associates, acting for Aliko Dangote. The letter told the commission that the complainant fully withdrew the December 16, 2025 petition and that another law enforcement agency had assumed control of the case.

The ICPC said that development does not alter its course. Citing sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the commission said investigations had already commenced and were ongoing.

“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that investigations 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 act within its statutory mandate, regardless of the petitioner’s decision to step back.

ICPC Farouk Ahmed investigation and mandate

The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and due process and said it will pursue the matter in line with the law and in the interest of the Nigerian state. It did not disclose details of the allegations under review or the scope of its ongoing inquiry.

Ahmed served as Authority Chief Executive and Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA, the regulator overseeing Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sector, before leaving office. The sector has remained under heightened scrutiny as Nigeria reforms fuel pricing and regulatory oversight.

The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and due process and said it will pursue the matter in line with the law and in the interest of the Nigerian state.It did not comment on the identity or actions of the other law enforcement agency referenced in the withdrawal letter.

The development reinforces the commission’s view that it can launch and sustain anti-corruption investigations independently once the law permits, even without a private petition.