FG delegation, Dangote, northern leaders attend burial of Alhaji Aminu Dantata in Madinah
A Federal Government delegation joined family members, and prominent Islamic leaders in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, for the burial of elder statesman and renowned industrialist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata.
Alhaji Dantata, aged 94, died on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Honouring his final wishes, his remains were flown to the Islamic holy city of Madinah, where he was buried at the revered Al-Baqi Cemetery following Jana’iza(funeral) prayers after Maghrib at the Prophet’s Mosque.
According to a statement by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, the federal delegation, which departed Nigeria late Sunday and arrived in Madinah early Monday, was led by the Minister of Defence and former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar. Other members included the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Honourable Yusuf Abdullahi Ata; and Hassan Abdullahi, Director of Internal Security at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), representing the NSA.
Prominent Islamic clerics were part of the delegation, including Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, and Khalifa Abdullahi Muhammad, Imam of the Dantata Mosque in Abuja.
Officials from the Nigerian Consulate General in Jeddah also participated, led by Ambassador Ibrahim Moddibbo, accompanied by Ambassador Muazzam Ibrahim Nayaya and Defence Attaché, Major General Adamu Hassan, who coordinated the burial arrangements.
Alhaji Tajudeen Dantata, son of the deceased, and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote—who is also a nephew of the late patriarch—arrived in Madinah Tuesday morning with the body, joined by other family members.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; immediate past APC Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; and the Governors of Kano and Jigawa States, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf and Alhaji Umar Namadi, respectively, were present at the funeral rites.
Also in attendance were the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, and Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, both of whom paid their last respects to the late patriarch.
Alhaji Aminu Dantata, a towering figure in Nigeria’s business history, was widely celebrated for his philanthropic legacy and contributions to commerce and community development.
