The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has announced that the burial of renowned business magnate and philanthropist, Aminu Dantata, will take place on Tuesday.
Dantata, who passed away on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), had expressed a wish to be buried in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
While Mustapha Junaid, Dantata’s principal private secretary, had earlier indicated that the burial would occur on Monday morning, Idris clarified to the BBC that it has been rescheduled to Tuesday. This delay is due to ongoing efforts by the Nigerian embassy and the family to finalize the necessary documentation.
The federal government delegation attending the funeral is led by Mohammed Badaru, Minister of Defence and former governor of Jigawa State. The delegation departed Nigeria late Sunday and arrived in Madinah early Monday.
Other members include Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, Minister of State for Housing Development; and Islamic clerics Bashir Aliyu Umar, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, and Khalifa Abdullahi Muhammad, the imam of Dantata Mosque in Abuja.
On Saturday, Salatul Ga’ib, an Islamic funeral prayer in absentia, was held in Kano at the Umar Bin Khattab Mosque. The prayer, led by Ibrahim Khalil, chairman of the Kano State Council of Ulamas, paid tribute to the late philanthropist.
Dantata, aged 94, was an uncle to Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote. He is survived by three wives, 21 children, and 121 grandchildren.