Tinubu faces heat over NMDPRA boss’s alleged $5M fraud

Mounting allegations of corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has triggered widespread protests and demands for immediate government action.

Two major civil society organisations, the Situation Room for Oil Sector Reforms and the Young Professionals Forum of Nigeria, staged coordinated demonstrations at the offices of the Attorney-General, the ICPC, the Code of Conduct Bureau, and the NMDPRA headquarters in Abuja on Monday, June 23.

At the centre of the controversy is a damning allegation that Ahmed embezzled over $5 million in public funds to finance the foreign education of his four children, Faisal, Farouk Jr., Ashraf, and Farhana, in some of the world’s most elite schools in Switzerland and India, including Aiglon College and Institut Le Rosey.

“Engr. Ahmed is at the centre of a massive financial scandal involving the alleged diversion of over $5 million to bankroll the luxurious foreign education of his children,” said Felicia E. Daniels, Coordinator of the Young Professionals Forum.

“While millions of Nigerians cannot afford to send their children to basic public schools, a public servant is alleged to have spent our commonwealth to secure elite education for his family.”

The groups allege that tuition fees ranging from $80,000 to $140,000 per annum were paid via proxy relatives and undisclosed accounts, none of which reportedly appear in Ahmed’s official asset declarations.

Adding fuel to the fire is a potential conflict of interest involving Ahmed’s son, Faisal, who was allegedly recruited into Oando PLC, a company under NMDPRA’s regulatory oversight.

“This employment was not accidental. It was likely facilitated by undue influence,” Daniels stated.

The groups also raised red flags over the importation of diesel with sulphur content 40 times higher than the standard set by the UN Environment Programme, under Ahmed’s watch.

“No sanctions were issued. No company was blacklisted,” Daniels said. “The regulator has become an enabler.”

Dan Okwa, Convener of the Situation Room for Oil Sector Reforms, called for Ahmed’s immediate suspension, stating: “Keeping him in office while investigations are pending is a threat to the integrity of the probe.”

The protesters are demanding coordinated investigations by the EFCC, ICPC, and CCB, alongside a full review of tuition, travel, and financial records tied to Ahmed’s children.

“Let the truth emerge. Was this funded by public money, and if so, through which channels? Nigerians deserve to know,” Okwa insisted.

Both groups vowed to sustain pressure until Ahmed is suspended, investigated, and, if found guilty, prosecuted with full asset recovery.

“If you believe in integrity, resign today. We will not let this matter die in silence,” Daniels warned.