Bureaucratic Bottlenecks Delay Billionaire Dantata’s Burial In Saudi Arabia

Efforts to bury the late Kano billionaire businessman and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, in Madina, Saudi Arabia, as per his final wishes, have been stalled by bureaucratic bottlenecks from Saudi authorities.

This was disclosed by Dantata’s personal secretary, Mustapha Abdullahi Junaidu, on Saturday.

LEADERSHIP reports that Dantata, who passed away late Friday night in Abu Dhabi, UAE, had expressed a lifelong desire to be buried in the holy city of Madina next to his late wife, Rabi Dantata, who died in 2023.

However, speaking to journalists on Saturday evening, Junaidu said that Saturday, being a work-free day in Saudi Arabia, had complicated the process of completing the required documentation and approval for the burial.

“He has always expressed a desire to be buried in Madina during his lifetime and we are working diligently to ensure his wishes are met,” Junaidu explained. “But the authorities in Saudi Arabia do not work during the weekends, so we are finding it difficult to conclude the necessary paperworks. The Federal Government is also assisting us in our efforts, so hopefully, we will get things done soon.”

Islamic tradition encourages prompt burial of a deceased person. A Ghaib (funeral) prayer where the corpse is not physically present was already performed for the late Dantata in his native Kano on Saturday afternoon. The prayer was attended by several dignitaries and well wishers.

Junaidu added that if the delay persisted beyond the weekend, the family would have no choice than to bring his remains to Kano so that he could be laid to rest without further postponement.

“We are exploring all avenues to ensure his final wishes are respected,” he said. “But if it becomes clear that the process will take longer, we will have no choice but to bring him back to Kano for burial.”

Dantata, one of Nigeria’s most prominent businessmen and philanthropists, died after a brief illness at the age of 94.