Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, Nigeria’s renowned business mogul and philanthropist, who passed away at 94 on Saturday, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, was laid to rest on Tuesday, at Al-Baqi Cemetery in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, following Jana’iza prayers after Maghrib at the Prophet’s Mosque.
According to a statement from the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, signed by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister, Dantata’s body arrived in Madinah on Tuesday morning, accompanied by his son, Alhaji Tajudeen Dantata, his nephew, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and other family members.
A high-level Nigerian government delegation attended the funeral, led by Minister of Defence Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, alongside Attorney General Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; Minister of Information and National Orientation Alhaji Mohammed Idris; Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata; and Hassan Abdullahi, representing the National Security Adviser. Prominent Islamic clerics, including Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, and Khalifa Abdullahi Muhammad, Imam of the Dantata Mosque in Abuja, joined the delegation.
Nigerian Consulate General officials in Jeddah, led by Ambassador Ibrahim Moddibbo, and Defence Attaché Major General Adamu Hassan coordinated arrangements.
Notable attendees included Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin, former APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, Governors Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano) and Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II, and Emir Aminu Ado Bayero. Aliko Dangote led family members and associates in paying final respects.
The burial followed Islamic rites, reflecting Dantata’s stature as a revered figure in Nigeria’s business and cultural landscape.
What You Should Know
- Alhaji Aminu Dantata was buried on July 1, 2025, at Al-Baqi Cemetery in Madinah after Jana’iza prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque.
- His body was flown from Abu Dhabi to Madinah, accompanied by family, including Aliko Dangote and Tajudeen Dantata.
- A Nigerian government delegation, led by Defence Minister Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, attended, alongside clerics and diplomats.
- Prominent figures, including the Emir of Kano, Deputy Senate President, and governors, joined the funeral rites.
- Dantata’s death on June 28, 2025, prompted widespread tributes for his contributions to Nigerian commerce and philanthropy.
