The burial ceremony of the late Nigerian business mogul and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, originally scheduled for Monday, has been rescheduled to Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Medina, Saudi Arabia. This change was announced by Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who explained that the delay was caused by the late arrival of Dantata’s body to Medina, necessitating compliance with Saudi Arabian regulations on receiving corpses from abroad.
Minister Idris told BBC Hausa that the Saudi government has specific rules and paperwork requirements for transporting and burying foreign nationals, which are currently being finalized between Saudi authorities and the family of the deceased. Once these legal formalities are completed, the burial will proceed on Tuesday as planned.
Top Nigerian dignitaries, including the Governors of Kano and Jigawa States, the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and former Jigawa Governor Ali Saad Birnin Kudu, have already arrived in Medina to attend the funeral. A high-level federal government delegation led by the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, is also present to pay their respects.
Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who passed away on June 28 in Abu Dhabi at the age of 94, was a prominent industrialist and philanthropist whose legacy significantly impacted commerce and community development in Nigeria. In accordance with his wishes, he will be laid to rest in Medina following Islamic rites.
The delay in burial has not dampened the solemnity of the occasion, with prayers and tributes pouring in from across Nigeria. The family and government officials continue to coordinate closely to ensure the funeral proceeds smoothly once all regulatory requirements are met.