Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has denied issuing a statement circulating under his name in response to allegations by Aliko Dangote, president and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited.

In a disclaimer released on Wednesday, Ahmed clarified that the statement did not come from him. While he acknowledged the allegations and the public attention they had attracted, he said he had opted not to respond publicly.

“My attention has been drawn to a purported response I was said to have made on the recent allegations against my person. I hereby state categorically that the so-called statement did not emanate from me,” Ahmed said.

He described the claims against him and his family as “wild and spurious,” adding that he would not engage in public arguments.

“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution. I believe that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and to clear my name,” he added.

The allegations follow Dangote’s claim that Ahmed engaged in economic sabotage and that the NMDPRA leadership was obstructing domestic refining by issuing import licences for petroleum products.