The President of Dangote Group, Dr. Aliko Dangote, has given a Kaduna-based businessman, Kailani Mohammed, a seven-day ultimatum to retract a libellous publication against him and his company, warning that failure to do so will result in a ₦100 billion lawsuit.
Dangote, in a letter to the businessman, demanded an immediate public explanation, retraction, and unreserved apology for accusing him of engaging in unclean business practices, especially in the 1980s in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Dangote’s letter was served on the Kaduna businessman by his lawyer, Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria of Onoja Law Firm, Abuja.
In the letter dated December 20, 2025, Dangote complained that the Kaduna businessman defamed him, lowered his reputation, and tarnished his business engagements by alleging that he engaged in unclean business in Port Harcourt and questioning his source of wealth as Africa’s richest man.
The offending remarks were said to have been made by Engr. Kailani Mohammed during an interview aired on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, on TrustTV News, in reaction to his petition against Dr. Farouk Ahmed submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The letter is titled “Demand for Public Explanation, Retraction and Unreserved Public Apology on Your Libellous Publication Against Alhaji Aliko Dangote, GCON” and was signed by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN.
It read: “We are solicitors to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and we write pursuant to his express instructions regarding grievously libellous statements broadcast by TrustTV News and uttered by you during an interview aired on Wednesday, 17th December, 2025, in reaction to the petition submitted by our client to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).”
“Our client is a widely reputable international businessman. He is the richest Black man on earth, and he owns the largest business conglomerate in Africa.
“Our client, through dint of hard work, integrity, diligence, and perseverance over the years, earned for himself the reputation and honour by which he is reckoned all over the world.
“Our client’s attention has been drawn to statements made by you during the televised broadcast on TrustTV on the aforementioned date in reaction to our client’s petition submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate and possibly prosecute Engr. Farouk Ahmed, if found wanting, wherein you made false, reckless, malicious, scandalous, and libellous publications concerning our client, portraying him as a man with monopolistic tendencies, who corruptly enriched himself in business and engaged in economic sabotage.
“Your statement also portrayed our client as a cruel businessman whose stock-in-trade is vendetta and a campaign of calumny to bring down others and exert monopolistic powers.
“Among others, you stated as follows: ‘Can Dangote tell us the source of his money in the 80s when he was in Port Harcourt? Who is clean? Every time you want to monopolise, you bring allegations against people. Let him come and prove it. In the 80s, we are aware of what happened in Port Harcourt and how he got his money. Nobody came out and said all these things.’
“These statements are false, scandalous, and deliberately impute unlawful or morally questionable conduct to our client, and are calculated to expose him to public hatred, ridicule, suspicion, and odium.
“By your reckless and unguarded defamatory statements and assertions, our client’s reputation has been greatly lowered in the sight of reasonable members of the international community, including his business partners, associates, and various governments of nations of the world where our client carries on business.
“Take note that our client categorically states that at no time in his life has he carried out any business, commercial activity, or wealth-generating enterprise in Port Harcourt, whether in the 1980s or at any other period whatsoever, as you alleged.
“Your assertions are therefore entirely fictitious, unfounded, malicious, and without doubt render you susceptible to both civil and criminal defamatory action.
“In view of the gravity and depth of the allegations made by you against our client, you are hereby demanded to do the following within seven days upon receipt of this letter:
“That you publicly explain on the same TrustTV platform and to the same audience when, where, and in what capacity our client was allegedly involved in any unclean activity or any activity whatsoever in Port Harcourt, as claimed by you.
“That, in the absence of verifiable facts capable of substantiating your assertions, you immediately and unequivocally retract the said statements in their entirety.
“That you issue a full, clear, and unreserved public apology to our client, which must be broadcast with equal prominence as your original publication.
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