The Nigerian oil and gas sector has been thrown into fresh controversy as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has declared that it will investigate a petition lodged against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.

Dangote, in a petition submitted on December 16, 2025, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), called on the ICPC to investigate, prosecute, and potentially arrest Ahmed over allegations of corruption and financial impropriety. The petition claims that Ahmed spent more than $7m on the education of his four children in Switzerland, reportedly paid upfront for a six-year period, without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.

“That Engr Farouk Ahmed has grossly abused his office contrary to the extant provisions of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and, by so doing, enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into millions of dollars.

“That Engr. Farouk Ahmed spent, without evidence of lawful means of income, a humongous sum of over $7m of public funds on the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront,” the petition stated.

Dangote named the children and the Swiss schools they attend, providing the alleged amounts paid for each to enable verification by the ICPC. He further accused Ahmed of diverting public funds for personal gain through the instrumentality of the NMDPRA, an action the billionaire businessman claims has fuelled public outrage and recent protests by civil society groups.

“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement are gross acts of corrupt practices for which your Commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote said.

Dangote added that successful prosecution under the law could result in a five-year prison sentence without the option of a fine. He alleged that Ahmed had enriched himself with taxpayers’ money meant for public use, diverting it for private purposes, which he said undermined public trust in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

Reacting to the petition, the ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, confirmed its receipt. He said, “The ICPC wishes to confirm that it received a formal petition today, Tuesday, December 16, 2025, from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer. The petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed. The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated.”

A coalition of 40 lawyers under the aegis of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Anti-Corruption has condemned the corruption allegations leveled against Ahmed as baseless, describing Dangote’s claims as a malicious media trial aimed at unjustly portraying Ahmed as guilty without due process.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Emeka Okafor, National Coordinator, and Barrister Mohammed Bello, Secretary, said the allegations, including claims of $5m spent on Ahmed’s children’s education in Switzerland, were reckless fabrications unsupported by facts or evidence.

Okafor emphasised that the NMDPRA boss’s regulatory efforts were in the national interest, aimed at dismantling monopolistic practices and promoting investor participation in the petroleum sector.

“This is a clear attempt at a media conviction of a public officer who has not been investigated, charged, or found guilty by any competent authority,” Okafor said.

The lawyers warned that such tactics could discourage local and foreign investors, particularly at a time when President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is focused on economic revitalisation. They stressed that any grievances should be addressed through lawful institutional channels rather than media campaigns.

“If indeed there were genuine concerns, the proper course of action would have been to submit a petition to relevant anti-corruption agencies for investigation, not a trial by media,” said Barrister Bello.

Students, CSOs react

The National Association of Nigerian Students also decried what it described as a media smear campaign against Ahmed. In a statement signed jointly by Samson Ajasa and Mr Humphrey Jonathan, NANS stressed that NMDPRA is a statutory regulatory body that must never be coerced, intimidated, or blackmailed to serve individual or corporate interests.

NANS noted that while it had supported the Dangote Refinery during operational challenges, it drew a firm line against character assassination and reputational attacks against credible public servants.

“The recent actions and allegations directed at Farouk Ahmed, a man of proven integrity, professionalism, and service to the nation, are totally unacceptable to Nigerian students and civil society groups,” the statement read.

NANS called on Dangote Refinery to engage regulatory bodies and government institutions through established legal and administrative frameworks instead of media campaigns that could undermine public confidence and national stability.

The students’ association commended Ahmed and the NMDPRA for transparency in publishing regulatory reports and urged collaboration between regulators and investors to support national development.

Over 50 civil society organisations also dismissed Dangote’s allegations as false, unfounded, and unsupported by evidence. Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Comrade Ibrahim Bello, National Coordinator of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, said the organisations had conducted internal reviews and found no basis for the corruption claims against Ahmed.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, on Tuesday, warned that any attempt to interfere with Wednesday’s National Day of Protest and mourning could spark a nationwide indefinite strike.

Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, said in a statement that the union had received intelligence suggesting that unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings might try to infiltrate or violently disrupt the demonstrations.

He added that harming even a single worker or citizen would trigger an immediate and indefinite shutdown across all sectors of the economy.

“Our action tomorrow is not just a mere procession; it is a collective act of grief, a roar of despair from the oppressed, and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security,” the statement read.

The union highlighted the deaths of countless members, teachers, farmers, miners, and other artisans amid escalating insecurity and government inaction.

The union urged all workers, students, traders, and citizens to remain disciplined, peaceful, and united.

“Solidarity is our shield,” it said.

The NLC also called on the police, who have been informed of the protest, to protect citizens’ democratic right to assemble and express their grievances.

The protest, first announced following the NLC’s National Executive Council meeting on December 4, 2025, is intended as a response to a wide range of national crises.

The NEC had expressed serious concern over the country’s worsening security situation, including the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State on 17 November 2025, during which two staff members were killed.

The union condemned the withdrawal of security personnel prior to the attack and called for urgent government intervention.

According to the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update, released in October 2025, approximately 139 million Nigerians, about 61–62 per cent of the population, are living in poverty, a sharp increase from previous years.

The union has previously stressed that protests are necessary to draw attention to government failures in addressing insecurity, economic hardship, industrial disputes, and political accountability.

The union raised concerns about the tertiary education sector, noting that university infrastructure continues to deteriorate, teaching and research resources remain outdated, and staff allowances are often unpaid.

The NEC criticised the Federal Government’s use of divide-and-rule tactics, which undermine union unity and stall negotiations.

It urged the government to implement a fair and uniform remuneration framework for all university workers while recognising the unique needs of different professional groups.

The ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions, which began on 14 November 2025, was also reviewed.

The NLC expressed concern over the withdrawal of nurses from the industrial action and warned that, should negotiations fail, it and its affiliates would join the strike in full solidarity.

The NEC also directed the revival of the Labour–Civil Society Coalition, originally formed under Adams Oshiomhole, to strengthen collaboration between labour organisations and civil society in addressing national issues.

On political matters, the NLC criticised the Labour Party, stating that it had been hijacked by mercantile interests through the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee.

The union resolved to withdraw from these committees and focus on building coalitions with parties whose ideologies align with working-class principles, while continuing to engage with the Labour Party where possible.

The NLC warned those plotting to disrupt tomorrow’s protest to desist immediately. Any attack on peaceful protesters will be treated as a direct declaration of war on the entire Nigerian working class and its allies.

The union emphasised that if even a single worker, comrade, or citizen is harmed during the protest, the NLC will declare an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike, shutting down all production, services, and sectors of the national economy.

“Any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown,” the union stated.

Posters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu disappeared from Abuja roads amid debate over premature campaigning

Traders, residents and social media users reported mixed reactions and could not identify those who removed the posters

INEC and the Presidency distanced themselves from the posters while civil society called for stricter enforcement of electoral laws

This is coming amid debate over premature campaigning ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As reported by Daily Trust, the campaign-style posters, which initially dotted the stretch from the City Gate to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and other strategic locations, were no longer visible as of this week.

Instead, spaces previously occupied by the president’s images have been taken over by commercial advertisements and posters announcing religious programmes.

The posters appeared several months ago, triggering public debate and criticism, with many Nigerians, civil society organisations and electoral observers questioning their timing and legality.

The controversy was heightened by repeated warnings from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that early campaigning contravenes the law.

Presidency distances itself from the posters

INEC has consistently frowned on premature campaigns. Amid the controversy generated by the posters, the Presidency repeatedly distanced itself from the displays, insisting that President Tinubu neither authorised nor endorsed any campaign materials ahead of the 2027 polls.

In April, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said: “While President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima greatly appreciate their teeming and loyal supporters across the country for their enthusiasm and continuing support, the two leaders do not support any campaign that breaches the laws of the land.”

Mixed reactions from traders and residents 

A visit by Daily Trust along the Airport Road this week showed a clear absence of the president’s posters from the City Gate through Lugbe and Gosa corridors down to the airport.

Billboards and lamp posts that once carried the images now display adverts for telecommunications companies, real estate firms and upcoming religious programmes.

Some traders, commercial motorcyclists (okada riders) and passersby operating along the corridor who were spoken with could not identify the individuals responsible for removing the posters.

Malam Sani Abdullahi, a roadside trader at Gosa, said: “I don’t know who removed them, but I saw some people taking them down in the afternoon, like normal workers. They were not wearing any political shirts.”

Another trader, Aisha Musa, who sells bottled water around the Shoprite area, said: “We just noticed one day that the posters were no longer there.”

An okada rider, Ibrahim Lawal, operating between Kuchigoro and Karomajiji near the City Gate, added: “I can’t tell whether it was during the day or night, but this is where we spend most of our time. If those who removed them had done it openly with political displays, we would have noticed. They did not wear any politically distinctive clothing.”

Social media reacts to the disappearance

Social media users also took to X (formerly Twitter) to comment on the disappearance of the posters, offering varying accounts and interpretations of how and when they were removed.

One user, John Ezeakolam (@JohnEzeakolam), wrote that the posters were taken down late at night.

Another, KRISSNIVU (@DonChrisnivu), claimed: “From Monday, Nov. 10, all Tinubu posters and banners on the Abuja Airport Road have been removed. Is this about

@realDonaldTrump warning to Nigeria? All the streetlight poles had his posters from the international airport to the National Stadium, Abuja.”

Similarly, Paul Ofuokwu (@Flexible4Obidient) described the development as an aftermath of political pressure, suggesting the removal occurred during the night.