Engr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has disowned a statement circulating online that was purportedly his response to recent corruption allegations made by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote.

In a disclaimer released on Wednesday, Ahmed stressed that he neither authored nor authorized the statement.

“My attention has been drawn to a purported response I was said to have made on the recent allegations against me. I hereby state categorically that the so-called statement did not emanate from me,” Ahmed said.

The disclaimer comes amid growing controversy following Dangote’s petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of corruption and claiming he spent over $7 million on his four children’s education in Switzerland using illicit funds. The petition, submitted through Dangote’s lawyer Ogwu Onoja (SAN) on December 16, 2025, also called for investigation, prosecution, and potential arrest of the NMDPRA chief.

Ahmed explained that he deliberately chose not to publicly engage the allegations, citing his role as a regulator in a sensitive sector.

“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,” he said.

He added that the matter is now in the hands of a formal investigative body and expressed confidence in the process.

“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,” Ahmed stated.

The disclaimer was formally signed by Engr. Farouk Ahmed, CEO of NMDPRA. The ICPC has confirmed it will investigate the petition in line with its statutory mandate.