Ibadan – Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, over alleged corruption and financial impropriety.
The petition, dated December 16 and addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), calls for Farouk’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution for allegedly living far beyond his lawful means as a public servant.
According to the petition, Dangote accused the NMDPRA boss of spending more than $7 million on the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland over a six-year period, an amount he said could not be justified by Farouk’s earnings in public service.
Dangote reportedly named the four children and their respective schools in Switzerland, as well as the amounts paid for each, to enable the anti-graft agency verify the claims.
The petition further alleged that Farouk Ahmed used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions which Dangote said contributed to recent public protests and unrest in the downstream petroleum sector.
Dangote argued that Farouk had spent his entire adult working life in Nigeria’s public sector and that his legitimate earnings could not account for the alleged expenditure on his children’s education abroad.
Senate reduces oil price benchmark to $60 per barrel in 2026 national budget
Ahead of the 2026 national budget presentation by President Bola Tinubu, the Senate on Tuesday reduced the $64.8 oil price benchmark for the projected N54.46trillion estimate to $60 per barrel but retained all other projections and parameters stated in the 2026 – 2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP.
This followed recommendations made to that effect by the Senate Committee on Finance in a report presented by its chairman, Senator Sani Musa (APC Niger East) during extended plenary.
Senator Musa, in his explanation for the reduction, said it was made in recognition of the global geopolitical tensions in Europe and the Middle East and the sensitivity of global crude oil prices.
Reps seek urgent action over detained Nigerian military aircraft in Burkina Faso
The House of Representatives has intervened in the controversy surrounding the continued detention of a Nigerian military aircraft and its crew in Burkina Faso.
Lawmakers have expressed concern that the incident poses significant diplomatic and security challenges, calling for immediate government action.
During Tuesday’s plenary, the House resolved to engage senior officials from the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs to clarify the circumstances behind the aircraft’s detention and to advocate for its prompt release.
Reps flag off probe into Nigeria’s worsening drug abuse, trafficking
The House of Representatives on Tuesday flagged off investigation into Nigeria’s worsening drug abuse crisis with a view to halt the growing menace threatening public health and national security.
Speaking in Abuja, Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Drugs, Trafficking, Alcohol and Tobacco Abuse, Hon. Oluwatimehin Adelegbe, warned that drug abuse poses a grave threat to the soul of the nation.
Hon. Adelegbe said the national reality could no longer be ignored, noting that cannabis is smoked freely on the streets like cigarettes, methamphetamine use is spreading across the country at an alarming rate, while codeine-based cough syrups are sold almost like soft drinks.
He added that tramadol 200mg is trafficked with the same level of coordination as hard narcotics, while cheap and hazardous alcoholic mixtures are destroying young men and women in motor parks, campuses, and marketplaces nationwide.
US expands travel restrictions, adds Nigeria to list of countries
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a Proclamation further restricting entry to the United States for nationals from countries deemed high-risk due to “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that threaten U.S. national security and public safety.
Among the 15 additional countries newly subject to partial restrictions is Nigeria.
The announcement comes directly from the White House website, in a fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States”, issued December 16, 2025.
Trump had earlier on October 31 declared Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ in response to allegations of a Christian genocide in the country. https://punchng.com/breaking-trump-declares-nigeria-country-of-particular-concern-over-christian-genocide-claims/
Ex-CJN Tanko Muhammad dies at 71
A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, is dead
He was aged 71.
It was gathered that Muhammed died at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, about two weeks before his 72nd birthday on December 31.
Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, confirmed Muhammad’s passing in a condolence message issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Mukhtar Gidado.
Gov Bago sacks 30 advisers
The development was disclosed on Tuesday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, who explained that the decision forms part of efforts to revamp the administration and improve efficiency in line with the governor’s New Niger agenda.
According to the statement, details of fresh appointments or possible reassignments were not provided.
Police arrest popular TikToker Peller over reckless driving
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained popular social media influencer Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, following a viral video showing him driving recklessly and crashing his vehicle during a live-stream.
According to a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, on Tuesday and made available to PUNCH Online, the arrest followed public outrage over the incident, which occurred on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
In the statement, the police said the suspect’s actions posed a serious threat to public safety and warranted immediate intervention.
