Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, on Monday, failed to appear before the special team of investigators set up by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to formally adopt his petition against the immediate past managing director, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA), Engineer Farouk Ahmed.

The anti-graft agency had last week insisted that the business mogul must appear in person to adopt the petition he filed on Tuesday, December 16, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja SAN, and provide further evidence on the allegations contained in the petition.

The commission’s directive came even after Onoja appeared at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Monday last week, following an earlier invitation directing either Dangote or his lawyer to come and shed more light on the petition.

The ICPC had, in a letter sent to the business mogul through Onoja, insisted that Dangote must appear in person on Monday, December 29 to adopt the petition for procedural reasons.

The letter, signed by the Chief of Staff to ICPC Chairman, Rouqayya Ibrahim, noted that the allegations against Ahmed are criminal in nature which may culminate in charges being filed in the court of law.

The letter, dated December 22, reads: “We are constrained to draw your attention to the fact that the matter under investigation is criminal in nature, being conducted pursuant to the provisions of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

“As you are aware, criminal investigations may culminate in criminal proceedings before a court of competent jurisdiction. It is therefore essential, for purposes of procedural integrity and admissibility that Alhaji Aliko Dangote personally adopts his petition before the Commission.

“Accordingly, we respectfully request that you kindly facilitate the appearance of Alhaji Aliko Dangote at the commission’s headquarters on 29th December, 2025 at 10 am, for the purpose of formally adopting his petition.”

Sources, however, told the Nigerian Tribune on Monday that Dangote failed to appear before the commission as demanded.

Dangote was, however, said to have written a letter to the ICPC, seeking another appointment in January for him to come and adopt the petition.

“Dangote did not appear before investigators today (yesterday) as requested by ICPC in a letter sent to him through his lawyer, Dr. Ogwu Onoja, last week.

“Instead, the African richest man sent a letter, seeking an adjournment to a date in January, 2026,” the source told the Nigerian Tribune.

Dangote had in the petition against Engineer Ahmed alleged corrupt practices, misappropriation of funds, including paying over $5million as school fees of his (Ahmed’s) four children in expensive schools in Switzerland.

While claiming that the former NMDPRA boss was living above his legitimate earnings as a public officer, Dangote further alleged that Ahmed was undermining domestic refining of petroleum, adding that Ahmed was colluding with oil marketers and international traders by issuing continuously import licences.

As a direct outcome of a meeting held with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu penultimate week, Ahmed resigned his appointment and a successor was immediately named by the Presidency.

The ICPC had acknowledged receiving Dangote’s petition and assured that the petition would be duly investigated.

Sources further told Nigerian Tribune that Dangote’s lawyer came to the commission last week to adopt the petition on behalf of the business mogul.

Onoja, it was learnt, met with investigators during which he presented some documents to buttress Dangote’s allegations against Ahmed.

ICPC spokesperson could not be reached to confirm if Dangote honoured the commission’s invitation.

However, source who spoke with Nigerian Tribune yesterday reiterated ICPC’s commitment to leave no stone unturned in the course of investigating the allegations, insisting that the allegations contained in Dangote’s petition were too weighty to be ignored. (Nigerian Tribune)