Chairman of the 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 alleged to be defamatory or risk a ₦100 billion lawsuit.
In a letter dated December 20, 2025, and written through his lawyer, Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, Dangote accused Mohammed of making libellous remarks that questioned the source of his wealth and alleged that he engaged in “unclean business” activities in Port Harcourt in the 1980s.
The statements were reportedly made during an interview aired on TrustTV News on December 17, 2025, in response to a petition Mohammed submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) concerning a separate matter.
Dangote’s legal team described the remarks as false, malicious, and calculated to damage the reputation of the business mogul both locally and internationally.
The letter stated that the allegations had lowered Dangote’s standing among business partners, associates, and governments in countries where the Dangote Group operates.
“Our client is a globally respected entrepreneur whose reputation was built over decades through hard work, diligence, and integrity,” the letter noted, adding that portraying him as a businessman driven by vendetta and monopolistic ambition was unjustified and defamatory.
The businessman was quoted in the interview as questioning Dangote’s wealth, particularly his alleged activities in Port Harcourt during the 1980s.
Dangote, however, categorically denied ever conducting business in Port Harcourt at any point in his life, describing the claims as entirely fictitious and without factual basis.
As part of the demands, Dangote asked Mohammed to publicly explain and substantiate the allegations on the same TrustTV platform, retract the statements in full, and issue an unreserved public apology with equal prominence to the original broadcast.
He also demanded ₦100 billion in damages for reputational harm and a written undertaking to desist from making further defamatory statements.
The letter warned that failure to comply within seven days would result in the commencement of both civil and criminal proceedings, stressing that unsubstantiated allegations aired on a national media platform amount to an abuse of the right to freedom of expression.
Dangote’s lawyers further indicated that, beyond the lawsuit, the businessman could also face reports to law enforcement agencies for investigation and possible prosecution over criminal defamation.
