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The Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, is facing intensifying scrutiny following moves to pay more than N200 billion in outstanding bridging claims to oil marketers, even as the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption and abuse of office.
Industry sources say the planned payment of the claims, which reportedly cover legacy obligations for 2023, 2024 and 2025, has raised serious concerns among economists and sector analysts, particularly over the absence of verifiable data to justify a significant portion of the claims.
Bridging claims are government payments made to oil marketers to compensate for the cost of transporting petroleum products from depots to various parts of the country, enabling uniform pump prices nationwide. Industry analysts note that this benefit was rarely enjoyed by Nigerians as petroleum products are sold at higher rate in most parts of the country.
“In several instances, marketers submit bridging claims that do not correspond with the levies paid per litre, with discrepancies of up to 47 per cent. The current move to settle approximately N250 billion in legacy bridging claims, despite the regulator’s inability to provide empirical data to substantiate as much as 47 per cent of those claims against verified levies paid by depot owners and importers, strongly suggests the presence of irregular and potentially sinister practices.
“It is therefore imperative for the Auditor-General of the Federation to immediately halt the processing of all bridging claims until a comprehensive investigation and forensic audit are conducted to ensure that claims approved by the regulator accurately align with levies paid per litre,” a senior industry source said.
The developments come amid a corruption petition filed by Dangote to the ICPC, alleging abuse of office, corrupt enrichment and unlawful diversion of public funds by the NMDPRA chief.
In the petition dated Tuesday and submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, Dangote urged the ICPC to arrest, investigate and prosecute Farouk for allegedly living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant.
Meanwhile, the ICPC has confirmed receipt of the petition and assured the public that it will be investigated.
The Commission’s spokesperson, John Okor Odey, acknowledged the petition in a statement.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) writes 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,” he said.
