Global Protests Announced as Groups Seek Farouk’s Exit over $5m School Fees Allegations
- A coalition of civil society and diaspora groups had announced coordinated protests across Nigeria, New York and London demanding Farouk Ahmed’s removal as NMDPRA chief
- The groups had accused Ahmed of alleged abuse of public trust and conduct they said conflicted with Nigeria’s energy and economic interests
- Protest organisers had warned that failure to act would signal tolerance for corruption in a key national sector
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A broad coalition of civil society and diaspora groups has announced plans for coordinated protests across Nigeria and abroad, calling for the immediate removal of Farouk Ahmed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The organisers said the demonstrations would begin on Wednesday, December 17, at Ahmed’s office in Abuja and extend through the week to major cities nationwide.
Source: Facebook
Parallel actions are also planned outside the United Nations House in New York and the Nigeria House in London, giving the campaign an international dimension.
The revelation of the $5 million school fees was made by Aliko Dangote, the president of the Dangote Group, during a press conference in Lagos.
Groups set protest agenda against NMDPR boss
The coalition brings together a wide network of organisations drawn from civic, labour, youth and diaspora platforms. Among them are Nigerian Citizens for Transparency, Anti-Corruption Alliance of Nigeria, Sokoto Welfare Foundation, Coalition for Economic Justice, African Refiners Network, Lagos Civil Rights Movement and the Petroleum Workers Union of Nigeria. Several diaspora-based groups in the United Kingdom and the United States are also participating.
Speaking for the coalition, Comrade Dan Danilson accused Ahmed of conduct he said was incompatible with the responsibilities of a public regulator. He said Nigerians were angered by allegations that the NMDPRA chief spent millions of dollars on overseas education for his children while families across the country struggle to pay basic school fees.
“Nigerians are deeply shocked and outraged that a public official entrusted with regulating a critical national resource has allegedly squandered millions of dollars sending just three of his children to exclusive secondary schools in Switzerland, while millions of suffering citizens in his home state of Sokoto and across the country cannot afford basic school fees,” Danilson said.
“These allegations expose a glaring betrayal of public trust and highlight unacceptable extravagance at the direct expense of impoverished communities in Nigeria and beyond.”
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Allegations of financial corruption against NMDPRA boss
The coalition said it would sustain pressure until Ahmed is removed from office and subjected to a full investigation. Danilson described the allegations as damaging to public confidence in the petroleum regulatory system and harmful to national economic goals.
“The lavish lifestyle of Farouk Ahmed, funded by questionable wealth while he occupies one of the most sensitive positions in Nigeria's economy, is an intolerable insult to every struggling Nigerian,” he said.
He added that the spending patterns attributed to the NMDPRA chief showed a leader disconnected from public hardship.
Danilson further accused Ahmed of actions that undermine Nigeria’s energy ambitions.
He said, “These are not mere allegations—they point to deep corruption and conflict of interest that have directly sabotaged Nigeria's push for energy independence.”
The coalition said the planned protests were intended to force decisive action by authorities. According to Danilson, allowing Ahmed to remain in office would signal tolerance for corruption in a critical sector.
“The protests starting Wednesday from his very office will send an unmistakable message: Farouk Ahmed must go now,” he said.
“We call on all Nigerians—home and abroad—to join this historic stand against corruption.”
Organisers said they expect the demonstrations to grow as public attention focuses on the allegations and their broader implications for governance, accountability and the petroleum sector.
Dangote sounds alarm over oil mafia
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had once again raised an alarm about mafia operating in the oil and gas industry and the deep-rooted sabotage within the sector.
Speaking during a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, on Sunday 14, December, 2025, Dangote described the scale of destruction targeted at local refining efforts as extensive and highly organised.
Source: Legit.ng
