Dangote Gives Kaduna Businessman 7 Days To Retract Comment, Threatens ₦100bn Lawsuit
Chairman of Dangote Group, Dr. Aliko Dangote, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to a Kaduna-based businessman, Engr. Kailani Mohammed, demanding a public retraction and apology over statements he described as defamatory, or face a ₦100 billion lawsuit.
In a letter dated December 20, 2025, written by his lawyer, Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, Dangote accused Mohammed of making libellous claims that questioned the origin of his wealth and alleged that he was involved in “unclean business” dealings in Port Harcourt during the 1980s.
The alleged remarks were made during an interview aired on TrustTV News on December 17, 2025, while Mohammed was responding to questions about a petition he had submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on an unrelated issue.
Dangote’s legal team described the comments as false, malicious, and deliberately aimed at damaging the reputation of the industrialist both within Nigeria and internationally.
According to the letter, the statements have negatively affected Dangote’s standing among business associates, partners, and governments in countries where the Dangote Group operates.
“Our client is a globally respected entrepreneur whose success was built over decades through hard work, diligence, and integrity,” the letter stated, adding that portraying him as a businessman driven by vendetta or monopolistic intentions was unjustified and defamatory.
During the interview, Mohammed reportedly questioned Dangote’s wealth and alleged business activities in Port Harcourt in the 1980s claims Dangote has firmly denied, insisting he has never conducted business in Port Harcourt at any time.
As part of the demands, Dangote requested that Mohammed publicly explain and substantiate the allegations on the same TrustTV platform, retract the statements in their entirety, and issue an unreserved public apology with equal prominence to the original broadcast.
He also demanded ₦100 billion in damages for reputational harm, along with a written undertaking to refrain from making further defamatory remarks.
The letter warned that failure to comply within seven days would lead to the initiation of civil and criminal proceedings, noting that making unverified allegations on a national media platform constitutes an abuse of the right to freedom of expression.
Dangote’s lawyers further indicated that the matter could also be reported to law enforcement agencies for investigation and possible prosecution over criminal defamation.
