Here’s the legal reality, clearly and carefully stated:
1. Resignation alone is not sufficient to send Farouk Ahmed to jail
Farouk Ahmed’s resignation, or removal, from office has no criminal consequence by itself. In Nigeria, public officials do not go to jail because:
- they lost a political or regulatory battle,
- their decisions were overturned, or
- the president replaced them.
Those are administrative and political outcomes, not criminal ones. However, the allegations by Dangote against Farouk Ahmed is quite grim and appalling.
2. Jail would require a separate criminal process
For Farouk Ahmed to face imprisonment, all of the following would have to happen:
- A criminal allegation — such as bribery, corruption, abuse of office, forgery, or fraud. This has been established against Farouk by Dangote
- Investigation by a competent authority — e.g. EFCC, ICPC, or the police. This has been initiated by the receipt of the Petition against Farouk by the ICPC
- Evidence strong enough to support charges. The evidence has been submitted to the ICPC by Dangote, though not public yet.
- Formal prosecution in court.
- Conviction beyond reasonable doubt. Could be easily established before the ICPC
As of now, some of these steps have been publicly announced.
3. Regulatory decisions are generally protected
Under Nigerian law, decisions taken:
- in good faith,
- within statutory authority,
- as part of regulatory discretion,
are not criminal, even if:
- they were unpopular,
- they hurt business interests,
- or the official later lost political backing.
At most, such decisions may be challenged administratively or in civil court, not criminal court.
4. What could change the situation
Farouk Ahmed would only be at real legal risk if credible evidence emerges showing:
- he personally benefited financially,
- he acted on unlawful instructions,
- or he deliberately abused his office for private gain.
Even then, political defeat does not equal guilt. Nigerian courts require proof, not narratives.
5. Political consequence vs criminal liability
What appears to have happened so far is this:
- Dangote won the policy and power struggle;
- Farouk lost political support and exited office.
- Farouk is in danger of going to jail if the allegations against him are proven
