FG delegation arrives in Saudi Arabia ahead of Dantata’s funeral
By Kunle Sanni –
A high-level delegation from the Federal Government of Nigeria has arrived in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the funeral of elder statesman and renowned business icon, Alhaji Aminu Dantata.
The delegation, led by the Minister of Defence and former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, arrived in the early hours of Monday to receive the remains of the late philanthropist, who passed away on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at the age of 94.
Other members of the delegation include the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; and the Minister of State for Housing Development, Honourable Yusuf Abdullahi Ata.
Prominent Islamic clerics—Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, and Khalifa Abdullahi Muhammad, the Imam of Dantata Mosque in Abuja—are also part of the delegation, underscoring the religious and national significance of the elder statesman’s passing.
They are being joined in Saudi Arabia by officials from the Nigerian Consulate General in Jeddah, led by Ambassador Muazzam Ibrahim Nayaya, who have been coordinating the funeral arrangements.
The burial is scheduled to take place later today in the holy city of Madinah, in accordance with Islamic rites.
Alhaji Aminu Dantata was a towering figure in Nigeria’s business and philanthropic landscape, widely respected for his contributions to national development, commerce, and Islamic scholarship.
