Alleged $5.5m Scam: Not sacking Ahmed Farouq morally wrong

The Arewa Youths Forum for Equity and Transparency (AYFET) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to relieve Engr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), of his duties following revelations of unexplained luxury spending on his children’s foreign education.

In a statement issued in Kaduna on Thursday, July 17, 2025, AYFET President Comrade Aminu Salihu Muktar said that over $5.5 million was allegedly spent by Ahmed on the overseas education of his children, an amount that far exceeds the legitimate earnings of a public servant.

According to Muktar, “President Tinubu must now confront a familiar moral question—what makes Ahmed Farouq any different from Betta Edu or Babachir Lawal? Both were removed from office for actions that cast doubt on their integrity. We expect the same standards to apply across the board.”

The youth group cited verified investigative reports indicating that Ahmed’s children were enrolled in elite European schools such as Montreux Secondary School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, and La Garenne International School, with one later transferred to NIIT Pune in India.

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AYFET stressed that the cumulative cost of tuition and upkeep—estimated at $200,000 per child annually—totals about $5.5 million, an amount they argue cannot be accounted for by Ahmed’s known public service career.

“Farouk Ahmed didn’t deny the schools his children attended. He didn’t show any proof of personal business, inheritance, or lawful income. In fact, he has never worked outside government. So Nigerians are right to ask: where did the $5.5 million come from?” the group queried.

The group condemned what it described as a glaring contradiction in public values.

“At a time when millions of children in northern Nigeria can’t afford school uniforms or even access to basic education, a public officer spends $200,000 per child per year on Swiss boarding schools. If this isn’t a textbook case of abuse of office, what is?” Muktar stated.

AYFET cautioned that retaining Ahmed in office risks damaging the credibility of the Tinubu administration’s anti-corruption drive and undermining critical reforms in the petroleum sector.

“President Tinubu showed resolve in the cases of Betta Edu who was removed when it became clear that her continued presence in government would cast a shadow over the administration’s moral authority. The same logic must apply here. The facts are public, the outrage is real, and silence is no longer an option,” Muktar asserted.

The Forum emphasized that public officeholders must remain accountable, regardless of their rank or tenure.

“We’re not demanding punishment without process. We’re demanding process—open, transparent, and impartial. That is what justice looks like. If he is innocent, the evidence will clear him. But if not, then justice must take its course,” Muktar concluded.

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AYFET called on the President to immediately suspend Ahmed and authorize a full investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).