Billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Kaduna-based businessman Kailani Mohammed, demanding a public retraction and apology over statements he described as defamatory.
Mr Dangote warned that failure to comply would result in a N100 billion libel suit.
The demand was conveyed in a letter dated December 20, signed by Dangote’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja and served on Mr Mohammed.
The letter accused Mohammed of making “false, reckless and malicious” statements questioning Dangote’s source of wealth and alleging involvement in “unclean business” activities in Port Harcourt during the 1980s.
The disputed comments were reportedly made during a TrustTV News interview on December 17, while Mohammed reacted to a petition involving the former CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The letter, titled “Demand for public explanation, retraction and unreserved public apology on your libellous publication against Alhaji Aliko Dangote”, stated that the remarks had seriously damaged Dangote’s reputation both locally and internationally.
It described the statements as “false, scandalous and deliberately calculated to expose our client to public hatred, ridicule and odium,” portraying him as corrupt, monopolistic and vindictive.
The letter 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 denied ever conducting business or any 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 publicly clarify on TrustTV when, where and in what capacity he was allegedly involved in any unlawful activity in Port Harcourt.
The letter also required Mohammed to retract the statements in full if he cannot provide evidence, issue a comprehensive public apology on the same platform, pay N100 billion in damages for reputational harm and provide a written undertaking to refrain from further defamatory statements.
The letter concluded that failure to comply within seven days would compel Dangote to initiate legal proceedings, including claims for aggravated damages and report the matter to law enforcement agencies for possible criminal defamation action.
