President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to a Kaduna-based businessman, Kailani Mohammed, demanding a public retraction and apology over alleged defamatory statements, warning that failure to comply would result in a ₦100 billion libel suit.

The demand was contained in a letter dated December 20, 2025, written by Dangote’s lawyer, Mr Ogwu Onoja, SAN, and formally served on Mohammed.

In the letter, Mohammed was accused of making “false, reckless and malicious” statements questioning Dangote’s source of wealth and alleging that he was involved in “unclean business” activities in Port Harcourt during the 1980s.

The contentious remarks were reportedly made by Mohammed during a TrustTV News interview aired on December 17, 2025, while he was reacting to a petition submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission against the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Mr Farouk Ahmed.

Titled “Demand for public explanation, retraction and unreserved public apology on your libellous publication against Alhaji Aliko Dangote”, the letter stated that the comments had caused grave damage to Dangote’s reputation both within Nigeria and internationally.

“Our client is a widely reputable international businessman, the richest black man on earth, and the owner of the largest business conglomerate in Africa. Through hard work, integrity, diligence and perseverance, he has earned the reputation and honour by which he is known globally,” the letter read.

Dangote’s legal team further described the statements attributed to Mohammed as “false, scandalous and deliberately calculated to expose our client to public hatred, ridicule and odium,” adding that the comments portrayed Dangote as corrupt, monopolistic and vindictive.

The letter specifically quoted Mohammed as saying: “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.”

Dangote categorically denied ever conducting any business or wealth-generating activity in Port Harcourt in the 1980s or at any other time, describing the allegations as “entirely fictitious, unfounded and malicious.”

He demanded that Mohammed, within seven days of receiving the letter, publicly clarify on TrustTV when, where and in what capacity Dangote was allegedly involved in any unlawful or questionable activity in Port Harcourt.

In the absence of verifiable evidence, Mohammed was required to retract the statements in their entirety, issue a comprehensive public apology with equal prominence to the original broadcast, and pay ₦100 billion in damages for reputational harm allegedly suffered.

Dangote also demanded a written undertaking from Mohammed to refrain from making or publishing any further defamatory statements against him.

The letter warned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated seven-day period would leave Dangote with no option but to institute legal proceedings in a competent court, including claims for aggravated damages, and to report the matter to law enforcement agencies for possible criminal defamation action.