The Presidency has stated that President Bola Tinubu will not interfere in the activities of anti-corruption agencies following allegations of corruption against Farouk Ahmed, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Ahmed resigned from his position amid claims of corruption levelled against him by Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X on Thursday, emphasised that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are autonomous bodies and will act in line with their statutory mandates.
Onanuga’s remarks were made in response to public criticism over the absence of arrests or formal investigations following Ahmed’s resignation.
An X user, @OurFavOnlineDoc, had questioned the lack of accountability, writing:
“No prosecution. No arrest. No investigation. No proper accountability.
Just allegation of stealing public funds, followed by a quiet resignation, and everybody can move on.
This is not how to build a sane country with trust, integrity, and respect before the world. What a shame.”
However, Onanuga dismissed the criticism as uninformed, stressing that the President cannot dictate how the EFCC or ICPC handle such matters.
“This is how we get things wrong through uninformed criticism. ICPC and EFCC are autonomous institutions.
“The ball is now in their courts to carry out their mandates. Mr President will not tell them what to do,” he said.