In a disclaimer seen on Wednesday, Mr Ahmed said the purported response did not originate from him. He acknowledged awareness of the allegations and the public attention they have generated but said he deliberately chose not to engage in public exchanges over the matter.
According to him, as the head of a regulator overseeing a sensitive sector of the economy, he considers public rebuttals inappropriate. He added that he welcomed the decision of his accuser to take the matter to a formal investigative body, expressing confidence that due process would allow the issues to be objectively examined and his name cleared.
Mr Ahmed described the claims against him and his family as “wild and spurious,” stressing that he has refrained from reacting publicly despite the controversy surrounding them. He reiterated that the statement being circulated as his response was false and unauthorised.
The denial follows a series of allegations levelled against Mr Ahmed by Mr Dangote, who on Sunday accused the NMDPRA chief of economic sabotage, claiming his actions were undermining domestic refining efforts in Nigeria. Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Mr Dangote alleged that the leadership of the NMDPRA was working in concert with international oil traders and importers to frustrate local refining by continuing to issue import licences for petroleum products.
Mr Dangote also accused Mr Ahmed of living beyond his legitimate means, alleging that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into millions of dollars. He argued that such expenses raised serious concerns about conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.
The accusations escalated on Monday, when Mr Dangote expanded his claims to include corruption and misappropriation of public funds, providing estimated figures for his children’s education abroad. He alleged that about $5 million was spent on secondary education and upkeep over six years, with an additional $2 million spent on tertiary education, including $210,000 for a Harvard MBA programme in 2025.
On Tuesday, the industrialist formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling for Mr Ahmed’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution for allegedly living above his means as a public officer. The petition, submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, detailed the names of the children, their schools, and the specific amounts allegedly spent on their education in Switzerland.
Mr Dangote further accused the NMDPRA chief of using his position to embezzle public funds and cited provisions of the ICPC Act that empower the commission to investigate and prosecute such offences, which could attract a jail term upon conviction. He urged the anti-graft agency to act decisively, stating his readiness to provide evidence to support his claims.
As of Wednesday, Mr Ahmed has maintained that he will not engage in public exchanges, insisting that the matter should be resolved through established investigative channels.