EFCC begins probe of alleged $7m Swiss school fees linked to Farouk Ahmed, ex-NMDPRA boss

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced an investigation into a petition filed by Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries, against Farouk Ahmed, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), over allegations of abuse of office and unlawful expenditure of public funds.

An EFCC source revealed that the investigation would involve extensive local and international inquiries, including correspondence with a secondary school in Switzerland where Ahmed’s children are allegedly enrolled.

The petition accuses Ahmed of spending about $7 million on the education of his children abroad, an amount Dangote alleged could not be justified by the former regulator’s lawful earnings.

The allegations were first raised in December 2025 when Dangote submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

Dangote alleged that the funds used for the children’s education were unlawfully sourced and linked to Ahmed’s position in public office.

However, in a letter dated January 5, 2026, Dangote, through his lawyer, formally withdrew the petition from the ICPC.

Read also: Dangote takes petition against ex-NMDPRA boss Farouk Ahmed to EFCC

Despite the withdrawal, the ICPC announced that it would continue to examine the matter, citing Sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, which empower the commission to investigate allegations of corruption once they have been brought to its attention.

The matter resurfaced publicly on July 6 when the Dangote Group media team disclosed that Dangote, through his legal representative, had submitted a fresh petition to the EFCC, requesting a thorough probe of the allegations against Ahmed.

Confirming the development on Saturday, a top senior EFCC official familiar with the investigation said the commission had begun preliminary work on the petition but had not yet invited Ahmed for questioning.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case, explained that the agency was following standard investigative procedures.

“We have prepared the ground and have started working on it. We have not invited the accused.

“We are writing to all the parties mentioned in the petition. Whoever is indicted is always the last to be invited. All the parties mentioned will be written to, to provide information that will be used to confront the person accused. When you have not carried out both local and international engagements, you cannot just invite the accused.” the source said.

According to the official, the EFCC has begun reaching out to companies, government bodies and international institutions referenced in the petition to obtain documents and responses that would help verify the claims made by the petitioner.

The source stressed that inviting the accused would come only after the commission had concluded its preliminary inquiries.

The official added that some of the claims in the petition would require international verification.

“We will have to confirm some claims in the petition, and this may lead to writing to the Switzerland school mentioned in it,” the official said.