Protests by public interest lawyers at the National Assembly against Farouk Ahmed, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) continued on Wednesday.
The lawyers who submitted a petition to the National Assembly leadership accused Ahmed of gross misappropriation of public funds, conflict of interest, and abuse of office, and demanded his immediate sack, investigation, and prosecution.
“We are here again to demand accountability and transparency from Mr. Farouk Ahmed,” said Samuel Ihensekhien Esq, one of the lead lawyers. “His actions are a clear betrayal of the public trust, and it’s time for him to face the consequences.”
The petition highlights several troubling allegations against Ahmed, including the alleged diversion of over $5 million of public funds to finance the private foreign education of his four children.
The lawyers also accused Ahmed’s son, Faisal Ahmed, of being employed by Oando PLC, a private entity directly under the regulatory oversight of NMDPRA, constituting a glaring conflict of interest.
“This is a clear case of corruption and abuse of office,” said Jnr Desmond Tabakwot Esq. “We will not stand idly by while public officials loot our treasury and undermine our institutions.”
The petitioners are demanding that Ahmed be immediately suspended, investigated, and prosecuted, and that his assets be frozen nationwide. “We will not rest until justice is served,” said Dr. S M Oyeghe Esq.
“We demand that the National Assembly takes bold action to restore public trust in our institutions and ensure that public officials are held accountable for their actions.”
They also asked that the National Assembly commence an immediate investigation, recommend Farouk’s immediate sack and suspension, and collaborate with international security agencies like Interpol to ensure his extradition back to Nigeria.
The lawyers also called for the freezing of Farouk’s local and offshore assets and sweeping reforms in the appointment and oversight of regulatory agency heads in the oil and gas sector.
The petition is backed by civil society organizations, including the Situation Room for Oil Sector Reforms, the Concerned Young Professionals Network, and the Coalition for Public Accountability (COPA), who have held protests calling for Farouk’s suspension and prosecution.
The petitioners emphasised that Farouk’s actions represent a clear abuse of office, a betrayal of the Nigerian people’s trust, and a severe breach of fiduciary duty, and that his continued occupancy of the position threatens transparency, accountability, and reforms in the petroleum sector.
